
TO THE PUPIL 


1. When taking a test, read the directions thoroughly and follow them to the 
letter. 

2. When marking your own diagnostic and practice tests, study the rules and 


play fair. No golP 
tation by breaking 
his work inaccural 
gains nothing, bee 
mastery tests, not 
student has learne' 

3. In most of 
score may be secu 
from the perfect s 
Score). In units 6 
minus the number 

4. Above each 
(To find the per ce 
the score on the t 
of the workbook. 

5. When your 
and (2) in your te? 
Then take the prac 


• t- l-i i n c ♦-l-i'll- Vie 





01ass2£IzZl 

Boot' ■ 


GopyrigMT 


COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 


’e, his character, or his repu- 
s scores. A pupil who rates 
1 for the mastery test, and 
rks uses the scores on the 
ry test shows how much a 
<t unit. 

ight (Score = Right). The 
g and the number omitted 
core — Wrong — OmittefL = 
test is the number right 

he score and the per cent, 
d multiply the quotient by 
progress chart at the end 


nd out what your errors are 
n’t thoroughly understand. 
. ; ■; _ ^ : learned and to prepare for 

the mastery test on the unit. Work for a perfect score on this final test. 

6. Correct and preserve all the tests. 







GRAMMAR MINIMUM 
ESSENTIALS 


DIAGNOSTIC, PRACTICE, AND MASTERY TESTS 


TO SUPPLEMENT 

ENGLISH IN ACTION , GRAMMAR IN ACTION , 
OR ANOTHER TEXTBOOK 



v BY 

C. TRESSLER 


// 


HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH 
RICHMOND HILL HIGH SCHOOL 
NEW YORK CITY 




D. C. HEATH AND COMPANY 

BOSTON NEW YORK CHICAGO 

ATLANTA SAN FRANCISCO DALLAS 

LONDON 



-f 

Tf 1/i 


Copyright, 1931 
J. C. Tressler 

3 c 1 


No part of the material covered by this copyright 
may be reproduced in any form without written 
permission of the publisher 



Printed in the United States of America 


&PR 

©cn 


IS 

35780 



CONTENTS 

UNIT PAGE 

I. Recognition of the Parts of Speech . i 

II. Parts of the Simple Sentence. 7 

III. Punctuation of Simple Sentences. 13 

IV. Capitalization. 15 

V. Plural and Possessive. 17 

VI. Correct Pronouns in Simple Sentences. 21 

VII. Correct Verbs in Simple Sentences . 25 

VIII. Correct Adjectives, Adverbs, and Prepositions in 

Simple Sentences. 35 

IX. Participles, Gerunds, and Infinitives. 43 

X. Adjective Clauses, Adverb Clauses, and Noun 

Clauses . 47 

XI. Kinds of Sentences . 51 

XII. Punctuation of Complex and Compound Sen¬ 
tences . 55 

XIII. Pronouns in Complex and Compound Sentences . 61 

XIV. Verbs in Complex and Compound Sentences . . 69 

XV. Adjectives, Adverbs, Prepositions, and Conjunc¬ 
tions in Complex and Compound Sentences . . 81 

XVI. Sentence Sense . 89 

Supplement 

Mastery Tests and Final Examination 















TO THE TEACHER 


1. In every unit the diagnostic test and the mastery test are equal in length and 
approximately equal in difficulty. It is therefore possible to use the diagnostic test 
as an alternate mastery test. 

2. Because the tests are intended to supplement the regular textbook, they will 
be taken normally after the study of the unit in the book. In advanced and review 
classes, however, it is usually wise to begin with the diagnostic test. 

3. Either have each pupil mark his own diagnostic and practice tests or have 
the pupils exchange papers for the marking. 

4. Recheck diagnostic tests with perfect scores, and if the marking is accurate, 
excuse the pupils from further drill on the unit. 

5. Distribute the mastery test on a unit when the pupils are ready for it. 

6. We all get the joy of achievement out of doing what we do well. A boy who 
plays tennis and chess well likes tennis and chess. Pupils enjoy grammar when they 
know that they are mastering the units. 


IV 


Name_ 

Perfect Score 100 


Wrong- 


Class 


Date_ 

Per Cent 


Score 


UNIT I 

RECOGNITION OF THE PARTS OF SPEECH 


DIAGNOSTIC TEST 

Using the following abbreviations, tell what part of speech each word is. Write 
the abbreviation above the word. 

n. — noun v. — verb 

pro. — pronoun prep. — preposition 

adj. — adjective conj. — conjunction 

adv. — adverb int. — interjection 


Tranter well knew his advantage and lost little time. As his opponent 

v'*' ' 1 ^ -- 

walked toward him, he suddenly bounded forward and sent in a cut which 
would have severed the other in twain had he not sprung lightly back from it. 
Quick as a panther, Alleyne sprang in with a thrust, but Tranter, who was 
as active as he was strong, had already recovered himself and turned it aside 
with a movement of his heavy blade. Again he struck a blow which made the 
spectators hold their breath, and again Alleyne very quickly warded it off, and 
sent back two thrusts. 


1 








NOUNS AND PRONOUNS — PRACTICE TEST 1 


In each sentence draw one line under every noun and two lines under every 
pronoun: 

1. Longer ago than I shall tell, my father returned one night to the far-off Wis¬ 
consin home where I was reared; sitting by my mother’s chair, with a child’s at¬ 
tentive ear I listened to their words. 

2. This hobby of rigging up telegraph lines between his home and those of his 
boy friends was a favorite one with Edison, and at all hours of the day and night he 
sent messages to six pals and received messages from them. 

3. There was a grandeur for us to achieve, like the Roman who said, “I found 
Rome a city of brick and left it a city of marble.” 

4. That is one of my reasons for not wanting anybody but mother to go with me. 

5. Lisle in the flax-growing region of northern France has large mills for the 
manufacture of linen cloth and thread. 

6. If you love life, do not squander time, for that is the stuff of which life is 
made. 

7. It is a land of eucalyptus, palms, dates, figs, olives, roses, wild flowers, and 
citrus that we enter when we arrive in southern California from the East. 

8. She speaks with a fervor of manner that cannot fail in winning the admiration 
and faith of any one to whom she talks. 


2 




GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


ADJECTIVES — PRACTICE TEST 2 

In each sentence draw a line under every adjective: 

1. Those early iron workers learned to puddle forge iron and make it into 
wrought iron, which is tough and leathery and cannot be broken by a blow. 

2. In them the common timber was the black ash, interspersed with occasional 
thickets of aspen on the drier places. 

3. This feeling that the world about me was friendly to me was very distinct, 
and it counted for a great deal in my life. 

4. My father, always thinking of the fragile health of his two older children, 
conceived the idea of turning the third room of the second floor of our home into 
an out-of-doors piazza, a kind of open-air gymnasium, with every imaginable swing 
and bar and seesaw. 

5. His present extensive country place includes the old farm of his illustrious 
grandfather. 

6. How able and energetic are the people who live in those old, stately, com¬ 
fortable houses along the broad avenue? 

7. The strong black coffee which is drunk in these places is certainly harmful. 

8. Sweet are the uses of adversity, which, like the toad, ugly and venomous, 
wears yet a precious jewel in his head. 


3 


VERBS AND ADVERBS — PRACTICE TEST 3 


In each sentence draw one line under every verb and two lines under every 
adverb: 

1. In a surprisingly short time most attractive factories have sprung up here 
and there and everywhere. 

2. Never had he in his extremely quiet life seen so great a town, nor was there 
In the whole of England, save London alone, one which might ever approach it in 
size or in wealth. 

3. With three swords through him he still struggled on, and had almost won 
his way through them ere he fell dead upon the stair. 

4. All plainly perceived that King Lear was not in his right mind, but that his 
daughters’ ill usage had really destroyed his reason. 

5. “ It was the most magnificent sight I have ever seen,” said Commander Byrd 
quickly. 

6. Yesterday a friendly sparrow posed most beautifully for his picture. 

7. Today the sky is coldly gray, and a dull drizzle is making the promenade too 
slippery for safety. 

8. How far that little candle throws its light! 


4 


GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


PREPOSITIONS AND CONJUNCTIONS — PRACTICE TEST 4 

In each sentence draw one line under a preposition and two lines under a con¬ 
junction: 

1. From time to time as the weather permitted, father had been cutting and 
hauling maple and hickory logs from the forests of the Cedar River, and these logs 
must now be made into stove-wood and piled for summer use. 

2. In this connection every one should know that fishing is altogether a different 
thing from catching fish and that a large per cent of the fun of fishing is the antici¬ 
pation. 

3. Birds, like human beings, have their individual characteristics, and one can 
never be certain, from the actions of one bird, that another will behave in the same 
way. 

4. An active boy in a knock-about twenty feet long may easily get more fun 
out of racing or cruising than his fifty-year-old father can get out of his six-hundred- 
ton steam yacht. 

5. If a bird breaks a wing or leg, it does not sit down and mope, but makes the 
best of a bad job. 

6. Then a strong puff of wind raced up the far slope and lifted the frail little 
body, like a bit of foam, from the crest into the air. 

7. The speaker mentioned that pleasures which involve the purchase and main¬ 
tenance of very costly machines like yachts or large automobiles or of large green¬ 
houses and gardens may be enjoyed in their extremes only by the very rich. 

8. I wonder whether you believe that some birds balance their eggs on knot¬ 
holes. 


5 









GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


Name-Class_Date_ 

Perfect Score 25 Wrong_Score_Per Cent 


UNIT II 

PARTS OF THE SIMPLE SENTENCE 

DIAGNOSTIC TEST 

Indicate the use in the sentence of each italicized word by writing above it one 
of these abbreviations: 


s.s. 

— simple subject 

o.p. 

— object of preposition 

V. 

— verb 

i.o. 

— indirect object 

p.a. 

— predicate adjective 

ap. 

— appositive 

p.n. 

— predicate nominative 

n.a. 

— nominative of address 

o.v. 

— object of verb 




1. Will you please hand me that bucket, Fred. 

2. Beyond its own attractions California is also the gateway to other scenic 
beauties. 

3. Among the highest peaks of the Cascades dwells the rosy finch, bird of snows 
and granite ledges. 

4. Last week the Caribbean suddenly became still under a windless sky. 

5. Are you the glad possessor of a flower garden with all its colorful changes, 
from the shadowy blues of early spring to the brilliant scarlets and purples of 
autumn? 

6. Are there many ambitious boys in your class, Chester? 

7. Did you tell her the truth? 

8. The lemur, a monkeylike animal, has a long tail, long and fine hair, large 


eyes, and a pointed muzzle. 


7 








SUBJECT AND VERB — PRACTICE TEST 5 

In each sentence draw a line under every subject word and two lines under every 
predicate verb: 

1. For four months he remained in the army. 

2. The orders of the captain must be obeyed. 

3. Was the manager of the department pleased with your work? 

4. On the platform were a hundred men and women. 

5. There were tears in her eyes. 

6. Why do some high school graduates enter college in the Summer Session? 

7. Along with scenes of dramatized manners and customs will be shown a 
model of the city of Paris. 

8. The two women rocked and sewed and crocheted in silence for two or three 
minutes. 

9. Are his house, his office, and his camp stacked with books? 

10. Never repeat the same food or the same flavor in a meal. 

11. How long did the rain, snow, and sleet continue? 

12. The mother of a horned toad family appears very gruff with her children 
but is in reality very fond of them. 

13. Did the captain of the thieves go to the door and whistle? 

14. How many of you can write the last stanza of “The Star-spangled Banner”? 

15. For many days the leader of the party had not tasted food. 


8 


GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


PREDICATE ADJECTIVE, PREDICATE NOMINATIVE, AND OBJECT 
OF VERB — PRACTICE TEST 6 

In these sentences draw one line under each predicate adjective and two lines 
under each predicate nominative. Place a check mark (\/) above every object of a 
verb. 

1. Has his life been altogether pleasant? 

2. Is the Danish farmer the most scientific farmer in the world? 

3. The World War drew the attention of the nations to the importance of oil. 

4. In captivity the beaver is not wholly a satisfactory animal. 

5. Far out the sea turned frothy with whitecaps. 

6. Toward eleven the crowd grew sleepy and dispersed. 

7. Did your friends take off their hats and wave their hands? 

8. A full-grown Indian rhinoceros is one of the most wonderful of all living 
animals. 

9. He was a miller by trade, and gradually built up a comfortable farm and 
business. 

10. Black spider monkeys are agile climbers, but not very rapid runners, and 
having no means of defense are very timid. 

11. The baby killdeer is a very erect and dignified little gentleman, a good run¬ 
ner and wader, but rather a poor swimmer. 

12. Our age is one of the greatest ages of history. 

13. What do you mean by that strange statement? 

14. These trees appear gray and dead during the dry season. 

15. He is a regular exhibitor in the American Water Color Society and has 
painted some beautiful pictures. 


9 


OBJECT OF PREPOSITION AND INDIRECT 
OBJECT—PRACTICE TEST 7 


In these sentences draw one line under each object of a preposition and two lines 
under each indirect object: 

1. Now tell me all about it. 

2. On a winter day, about two years ago, a fire broke out in the home of a 
family of four people in our immediate vicinity. 

3. Approach to the house will be through a large garden and a grove of 
old trees. 

4. During his childhood his family lived on the edge of the great forest. 

5. I’ll bring you a cup of hot milk. 

6. What does the country around the camp hold in things of interest and 
charm ? 

7. Who taught you the parts of speech? 

8. The calves of the elk are born from May to July, and are spotted during 
the first six months. 

9. The boys and girls of Vienna showed us the greatest courtesy. 

10. During the early stages of its existence the bullfrog is in turn a fin-tailed 
tadpole with no legs, a short-tailed tadpole with a pair of front legs, a shorter-tailed 
tadpole with four legs, and finally a fully developed, land-going frog with a voice 
like a small bull, and no tail whatever. 

11. I told him my name. 

12. For breakfast on Sunday morning the maid gave Jim oatmeal with cream 
and two poached eggs on toast. 

13. For a few minutes she looked around the room with an anxious gaze. 

14. Did your mother give you enough money for car fare and lunch? 

15. Seventy per cent of American foreign trade is carried in ships of foreign 
construction and ownership. 


10 


GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


APPOSITIVE AND NOMINATIVE OF ADDRESS — PRACTICE TEST 8 

In each sentence draw one line under every appositive and two lines under every 
nominative of address: 

1. Harry, will you hand me my overcoat, the oldest one in the wardrobe. 

2. Thank you kindly, Mrs. Cartright. 

3. A vast department store chain, the largest one of its kind in the world, was 
recently formed. 

4. The food of the rosy finch — beetles, ants, butterflies, bees, other insects, 
and seeds — is culled from the drifts. 

5. Bob, this is Tom Jackson, captain of the Andover football team. 

6. Mrs. Owen, daughter of “The Great Commoner,” William Jennings Bryan, 
is the author of the plan. 

7. Why, mother, what’s the matter? 

8. Now, Helen, please be reasonable. 

9. The whooping crane, the largest, handsomest, and rarest species of crane 
in America, has pure white plumage. 

10. This is the story ’of my great debt to Alexander Graham Bell, friend to the 
deaf and inventor of the telephone. 

11. You are right, Henry, about the price of the football. 

12. The lofty white tower of its new City Hall Building is a beacon to Los 
Angeles, metropolis of southern California and largest city in the state. 

13. Soon I had found my own cottage, one of the oldest with a broad-beamed 
roof. 

14. Beyond lies Fort Worth, a hive of packing activity— also an oil center. 

15. What play do you wish to purchase tickets for, Mrs. Cartright? 


11 







GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


Name _ Class_Date _ 

Perfect Score io Wrong _ Score _ Per Cent 


UNIT III 

PUNCTUATION OF SIMPLE SENTENCES 

DIAGNOSTIC TEST 

Punctuate the following sentences. Overpunctuation is just as bad as under¬ 
punctuation. Therefore if you either omit a needed punctuation mark or insert a 
mark that is not needed, the sentence is wrong. 

1. Did you go to Kingston New York with your mother and father 

2. In the boat are the ferryman Lord Ullin’s daughter and her lover 

3. The Woolworth Building for years the tallest building in the world is located 
on lower Broadway 

4. To form correct habits in English pupils need drill 

5. Yes Mrs Wilson we drove through Rome New York on August 12 1931 

6. On the wall was a big map old and yellow with red railroad lines all over it 

7. Yes Jack I mean voice not verse 

8. On February 4 1931 Mr Thompson wrote a letter to D C Heath and Com¬ 
pany 285 Columbus Avenue Boston Massachusetts 

9. The night before we had seen Mary Pickford my favorite actress in The 
Taming of the Shrew 

10. Have we won in our battle against tuberculosis the white plague 


13 








PUNCTUATION OF SIMPLE SENTENCES — PRACTICE TEST 9 


Punctuate the following sentences. Any error makes the sentence wrong. 

1. Jim I’m going back after the dog 

2. Now Marion don’t bother me 

3. Are you in the habit Harold of putting question marks after interrogative 
sentences 

4. The Forum was established in 1886 by an intelligent and public-spirited 
chemist Isaac L Rice 

5. America faces two oceans the Atlantic and the Pacific 

6. The magnolia the state flower of Mississippi grows on a tree having a fra¬ 
grant bark 

7. Some of the better-known advertisers in this magazine are the Ford Motor 
Company the General Electric Company the American Tobacco Company and the 
Packard Motor Company 

8. We had to content ourselves with canned stuff" dried stuff and hardtack and 
on long crusies sometimes found the fare almost intolerable 

9. In buses trolleys trams and subways one rarely sees cranky disagreeable 
quarrelsome people 

10. The Woman s Home Companion was first published in Cleveland Ohio in 

1873 

11. Oliver Wendell Holmes was born in Cambridge Massachusetts on August 29 
1809 

12. Mr Kelley is working for E C Glass & Co 127 Broadway New York City 

13. But playing hockey like skating or rowing is real fun 

14. The picture is almost entirely made up of such adventures always quick 
and always thrilling 

15. There is however much to be said on the other side of the question 

16. Each year the members of the Assembly not the people choose a President 
of the Confederation 

17. I want to see your father not you 

18. Yes he is in his study 

19. No he hasn’t been here today 

20. The night before we had packed up all our belongings 

21. The day after we had forgotten our quarrel and were good friends again 

22. Yes Mrs Simondson I took the frog to Dr Campbell our biology teacher 

23. Business life by the way is not dull prosaic and monotonous 

24. For information about my education industry and honesty write to Mr 
G J Raynor principal of the Alexander Hamilton High School Brooklyn New York 

25. In 1796 Napoleon a shaggy-haired large-skulled short young man of twenty- 
seven had a ragged army at his back 


14 


GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


Name-Class_Date_ 

Perfect Score io Wrong_Score_Per Cent 


UNIT IV 

CAPITALIZATION 

DIAGNOSTIC TEST 

Capitalize the following sentences. If you omit a needed capital or insert a 
capital that is not needed, the sentence is wrong. 

1. President hoover appointed as secretary of war to succeed james w. good 
colonel patrick j. hurley, who had served as assistant secretary of war. 

2. On friday secretary of state stimson, leader of the american delegation to 
the london naval arms conference, began conferences with prime minister mac- 
donald of great britain, premier tardieu of france, and foreign minister grandi of 
italy. 

3. Before entering grover Cleveland high school last fall, i attended a high 
school in Cincinnati. 

4. The home of the national school of landscape design is in the plymouth 
building, des moines, iowa. 

5. At the hotel belmont yesterday the principal of the Wellington school for 
girls announced that two new york girls had been expelled from the school for smok¬ 
ing cigarettes. 

6. One summer we spent in the west. 

7. Last spring judge williams advised me to include in my high school course 
stenography, typewriting, french, and latin. 

8. Between christmas and Washington’s birthday i read verne’s around the 
world in eighty days and verrill’s the ocean and its mysteries. 

9. The driver of a passing taxicab, isadore wolff, of 2120 seventy-fifth street, 
saw the fight and brought policeman henry c. linker from ocean avenue and church 
street to the scene. 

10. Charles m. schwab, governor franklin d. roosevelt, and mayor walker are 
listed as the speakers for the thirty-fourth annual dinner of the real estate board 
of new york, to be held Saturday evening, february 1, in the commodore hotel. 


IS 








CAPITALIZATION — PRACTICE TEST 10 


Capitalize the following for use within sentences: 


1. lane high school 

2. a high school in texas 

3. india rubber 

4. winter 

5. fifth avenue 

6. the fourth of july 

7. the hotel 

8. the summit springs hotel 

9. a tall building 

10. the chrysler building 

11. wiggin’s diary of a goose girl 

12. pyle’s king arthur and his knights 

13. the world court 

14. morocco leather 

15. labor day 

16. gulf of mexico 

17. city of Philadelphia 

18. state of kansas 

19. south pole 

20. blair county 


21. west shore railroad 

22. general pershing 

23. west randolph street 

24. cedar rapids board of education 

25. the secretary of state 

26. the university of Virginia 

27. james gray, a.m., ph.d. 

28. the old testament 

29. alexander the great 

30. a trip through the south 

31. decoration day 

32. queen victoria 

33. battle creek dog food company 

34. history, latin, and geometry 

35. horace mann junior high school 

36. a judge, a general, and a senator 

37. judge wiley and senator reed 

38. c. k. grouse and company 

39. second ward 

40. secretary of navy adams 


16 


GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


Name - Class_Date_ 

Perfect Score 20 Wrong _ Score_Per Cent_ 

UNIT V 

PLURAL AND POSSESSIVE 

DIAGNOSTIC TEST 

Complete each sentence by filling the blanks with the correct forms of the words 
in parentheses: 

1. After a _ delay the _ report was presented 

to Congress, (week, commission) 

2. Mr. Eaton bought some_books and_books 

for his nieces and nephews, (girl, boy) 

3. We all enjoyed _ speech and_declamation. 

(James, Charles) 

4. The _ physician advised him to take a ten_ 

vacation. (King of England, day) 

5. In the paper are pictures of the_basketball team and the 

_golf team, (boy, man) 

6. Was _ oratorical ability greater than _ 

(Bryan, Webster) 

7. The_home is an_ride from Mem¬ 


phis. (editor-in-chief, hour) 


17 






















DIAGNOSTIC TEST {Continued) 


8. Miss Norton sells 


and 


dresses. 


woman) 

9. The two_are now in the_garage. 

attorney) 


10. The two 


in my English class enjoy reading 


novels. (Jones, Dickens) 


(child. 


(turkey. 


18 








GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


PLURAL AND POSSESSIVE — PRACTICE TEST 11 

Insert the possessive singular, the plural, and the possessive plural of each word: 

Possessive p. . Possessive 

Singular FUTal Plural 

1. horse _ _ _ 

2. officer _ _ _ 

3. fox - - - 

4. man _ _ _ 

5. child _ _ _ 

6. woman _ _ _ 

7. policeman _ _ _ 

8. lady _ _ _ 

9. attorney _ _ _ 

10. donkey _ _ _ 

11. lily _ _ _ 

12. turkey _ _ _ 

13. hero - - - 

14. thief - - - 

15. dwarf - - - 

16. son-in-law T- - - 

17. editor-in-chief _ _ _ 

18. Miss Willis - - - 

19. Burns - - - 

20. mosquito - - - 

21. Murphy - - - 

22. fairy - - - 

23. baby - - - 

24. one - - - 

25. it - - - 


19 






































GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


Name-Class_Date_ 

Perfect Score 25 Right_Wrong_Score_Per Cent_ 

(Right — Wrong = Score) 

UNIT VI 

CORRECT PRONOUNS IN SIMPLE SENTENCES 

DIAGNOSTIC TEST 

Fill each blank with the correct or preferred word or expression: 

1. _went ice-skating. (Harry and I, me and Harry) 

2, 3. Mrs. Holman’s friend sat between_and_ 

(her, she) (I, me) 

4. _and her doll are going to act out a tragic story, (her, she) 


5. Can you go fishing with father and_? (I, me) 

6. The teacher punished George and_for tardiness. (I, me) 


7. _ _ did you see last night ? (who, whom) 

8. Between you and _ he must be mistaken. (I, me) 

9. Bill and _ went to the circus. (I, me) 

10. One of the men sprained _ ankle, (his, their) 

11. One Hundred Best Books gives one an idea of the best books to include in 

i 

_library, (his, one’s, their) 

12. Each of the members expressed_opinion, (his, their) 

13. Each member of the class is to write about-favorite maga¬ 


zine. (his, their) 


21 






















DIAGNOSTIC TEST {Continued) 


14. Every one should do something for the welfare of-com¬ 

munity. (his, their) 


15. Every pupil thought_answer correct, (his, his or her, their) 

16. Everybody did_share to make the entertainment a success. 


(his, his or her, their) 

17. A person should not play baseball with_good clothes on. 

(his, their) 

18. No one was satisfied with_mark on the test, (his, their) 

19. My brother and_are going for a hike. (I, me) 

20. The party consisted of_ (myself and three 

seniors, three seniors and me) 

21. Neither of my sisters was pleased with_new dress, (her, 

their) 

22. _did your class elect president? (who, whom) 

23. -discusses both sides of the question, (in 

this magazine it, this magazine) 

24. -tells of life in Salem, Massachusetts, (in 

The House of the Seven Gables it, The House of the Seven Gables) 

25. The row leaders are Harrison, Sidney, and_ (I, me) 


22 














GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


CORRECT PRONOUNS IN SIMPLE SENTENCES 

PRACTICE TEST 12 

Insert in each blank the correct or preferred word or expression: 

1,2. - and -- were chosen captains of the teams. 

(he, him) (I, me) 

3. Here are - two. (us, we) 

4. Tom went with Jack and _ (I, me) 

5. The teacher commended George and_for our good penman¬ 

ship. (I, me) 

6. 7. The suspicion fell on _ and _ (her, she) (I, me) 


8. It is_ (he, him) 

9. _did your club choose as its press representative? (who, 


whom) 

10. Mother wouldn’t let my sister and_go to the game. (I, me) 


11. Mary and _ went to the store. (I, me) 

12. _ did you ask to come? (who, whom) 

13. _ boys played basketball for two hours, (us, we) 

14. _ played tennis after lunch. (George and I, me and 


George) 

15. Every one used_dictionary, (his, his or her, their) 

16. Many times a person forgets-duty, (his, their) 


17. Every one should do 


23 


work on time, (his, their) 



















PRACTICE TEST ( Continued) 


18. Almost every college in the country requires-entrants to 

continue the study of English, (its, their) 

19. Every one on our team did_best to win. (his, their) 

20. One should have control of_mind and body, (his, one’s, 

their) 


21. Howard and_did not hand in our outlines. (I, myself) 

22. Another boy and_were rummaging in the garret. (I, my¬ 

self) 


23. Jack and_had searched all over the house for some means 

of amusing ourselves. (I, myself) 

24. No one except_was there, (our relatives 

and us, our relatives and we, we and our relatives, us and our relatives) 

25. How much will-? (ammunition cost, it cost 

for ammunition) 

26. - tells of a linen weaver of Raveloe. (in Silas 

Marner it, Silas Marner ) 

27. Everybody prepared-history lesson, (his, his or her, their) 

28. 29. - and - have been pals for five years. 

(he, him) (I, me) 


30. All the girls but 


_ can swim, (her, she) 
24 















GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


Name -Class_Date_ 

Perfect Score 50 Right - Wrong_ Score_Per Cent_ 

(Right — Wrong = Score) 

UNIT VII 

CORRECT VERBS IN SIMPLE SENTENCES 

DIAGNOSTIC TEST 

Fill each blank with the correct or preferred word or expression: 

1. The eyes_another important part of the body, (are, is) 

2. He _know those dates, (doesn’t, don’t) 

3. There_no pictures in the Blue and Gold, (are, is) 

4. We_talking about Edgar Allan Poe. (was, were) 

5. _you in school yesterday? (was, were) 

6. Inside the coach_ three passengers, (was, were) 

7. The characters of The House of the Seven Gables _interesting. 

(are, is) 

8. A huge wreath with red berries, pine cones, and tiny colored electric 

lights _ placed over the front door, (was, were) 

9. Hunger, suffering, and cold _ not quench Stickeen’s bravery 

and loyalty to mankind, (do, does) 


10. Murray and I_the tackles on our football team, (are, is) 

11. At the water’s edge_a man and his boat, (are, is) 

25 




















DIAGNOSTIC TEST (i Continued) 


12. _ the word and its meaning firmly fixed in your mind? 

(are, is) 

13. Every state in the United States and every nation in the world- 

found it necessary to regulate marriage and divorce, (has, have) 

14. There_the bride and groom, (go, goes) 

15. Each of the knights_different from his comrades, (was, 

were) 

16. In one issue there_three letters from a man in Russia, (was, 

were) 

17. We had left Ivanhoe and _ on our way to Athelstane’s 

funeral, (was, were) 

18. The grim castle of the Count of Ghent, built in 868,_its 

bulk above the tide of life in that ancient city, (rear, rears) 

19. He-attend the meetings, (doesn’t, don’t) 

20. There-also some gambling among the rich people, (was, 

were) 

21. The value of the anthracite coal mines_about one billion 

dollars, (are, is) 


22. The amount received from taxes 


increased each year. 













GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


23. Then there-two other points to consider, (are, is) 

24. In recent years there-been many mechanical improve¬ 

ments. (has, have) 

25. The pleasant hum of the insects_with the first call of the 

whippoorwill, (blend, blends) 

26. I have had experience in filing for the Metropolitan Life Insurance 

Company,_for that firm during the summer vacation of 1931. 

(having worked, working) 

27. At the meeting of the bar association last July the President_ 

some striking facts about law-breaking in this country, (has presented, presented) 

28. I _in a bank during my last vacation, (have worked, 


worked) 

29. Last week we _ the small sloop in the races at West Hamp¬ 

ton. (have sailed, sailed) 

30. For the last few months I _ much interested in your maga¬ 

zine called Your Home, (have been, was) 

31. Fifteen years ago our company-fighting in France, (had 

been, was) 

32. John_just finished high school, (had, was) 

33. J_be grateful for your prompt attention to this matter. 


(shall, will) 


27 













DIAGNOSTIC TEST (< Continued) 


34. We_like to have you visit us in our new home, (should. 


would) 

35. Towser was_in the front yard, (laying, lying) 

36. The horse_down to roll, (laid, lay) 

37. He had to_there and watch the pendulum come down. 

(lay, lie) 


38. The drunkard was_in the snow, (laying, lying) 

39. How long has he been_on that bench? (setting, sitting) 

40. We saw a milk bottle_in the road, (laying, lying) 


41. The boiler _ causing much confusion, (burst, bursted, 

busted) 

42. Godfrey _ in and asked Nancy to adopt Eppie. (came, 

come) 

43. The child has _ in front of the truck, (ran, run) 

44. I haven’t_my bath yet. (taken, took) 

45. The shot must have _ from the automobile, (came, come) 

46. I_him yesterday, (saw, seen) 

47. I was almost- (froze, frozen) 

48. I-had a mark under 80 per cent this term, (ain’t, haven’t) 

49. _I go with you ? (can, may) 

50. You-known better, (might have, might of) 

28 



















GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


AGREEMENT OF VERB AND SUBJECT — PRACTICE TEST 13 
Fill each blank with the correct or preferred word or expression: 

1. The lower part of the lungs _ inflated, (are, is) 

2 . _ the sides have to be equal? (doesn’t, don’t) 

3. Another interesting feature_the alumni notes, (are, is) 

4. Your answer_seem right, (doesn’t, don’t) 

5. On the pier there _ boys playing with a canoe, (was, were) 

6. The record of orders received _ as follows, (are, is) 

7. The brilliant white of their blossoms _ with the deep blue 

of the water, (contrasts, contrast) 

8. There _ only two seats for us. (was, were) 

9. The last three chapters _ very short, (are, is) 

10. There _ present only Sarah and her cousin, (was, were) 

11. The charm of her mother’s features_to be found in Alice’s 

face, (was, were) 

12. On Main Street _ a dry goods, grocery, and hardware store. 

(are, is) 

13. Every one of the boys _ to work, (like, likes) 

14. In the chasm an iron railing and every other safeguard - 

provided, (are, is) 

15. Cedric and Athelstane _ insulted at the banquet, (was, 


were) 


29 

















PRACTICE TEST ( Continued) 


16. Meanwhile Hastings and Constance_to elope, (decide, 

decides) 

17. The long line of mourners, each with bowed head,-very- 

impressive. (was, were) 

18. Neither Harold nor Eugene_ready, (are, is) 

19. Kipling’s poetry and prose_easy to remember, (are, is) 

20. Among the group of Pilgrims_Standish and Alden. (was, 

were) 

21. Neither of the girls_prepared, (was, were) 

22. Each of you_to do that work, (are, is) 

23. The mother and children_walking along the canal, (was, 

were) 

24. The subordinate clause - express a complete thought. 

(doesn’t, don’t) 


25. He-know which car to buy. (doesn’t, don’t) 

26. Lower prices - unemployment, not prosperity, (cause, 

causes) 


27. The pitchers of our team-very tired, (seem, seems) 


28. There-too many principal clauses in the sentence, (are, is) 

29. -Locksley’s men dressed in green? (was, were) 

30 
















GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


30. You, the chairman,-the one to present the watch, (are, 

is) 

31. The perpetuation of our government_largely on the train¬ 

ing of our future citizens, (depend, depends) 

32. There-useful and useless machines, (are, is) 

33. The forts protecting the bay_firing on the ships, (are, is) 

34. The long low buildings of the inn_out in the moonlight. 

(stand, stands) 

35. Charging up a hill_six hundred men on beautiful horses. 

(was, were) 

36. To every argument there_two sides, (are, is) 


37. There _ two plots in his story, (are, is) 

38. There _ some wonderful matches on the first afternoon of 


the tournament, (was, were) 

39. The people of New York City_more than half of the total 

state tax. (pay, pays) 

40. Mildred_know how to solve the tenth problem, (doesn’t, 

don’t) 


31 













PRINCIPAL PARTS — PRACTICE TEST 14 


Fill each blank with the verb form named. Give the active voice of a transitive 
verb unless the passive is asked for. 

1. Father_to Tulsa to visit Uncle Henry, (present perfect 

of go) 

2. Mother_down to rest, (past perfect of lie) 

3. I_that yesterday, (past of do) 

4. Just then the conductor_along, (past of come) 

5. You_me too much change, (past of give) 

6. I_her two or three times, (present perfect of see) 

7. Edward_in the assembly four or five times, (present per¬ 

fect of speak) 

8. I_all kinds of horses, (present perfect of ride) 

9. Matilda started well but soon_tired of her work, (past of 

become) 


10. Your mother often_this lullaby to you. (past of sing) 

11. Thomas_a good spirit, (present perfect of show) 

12. Great Britain_the worthless ship, (past of sink) 

13. Our team_yours easily, (past of beat) 

14. He-a bicycle from New York to Cleveland, (past 


perfect of ride) 

(past perfect of break) 
32 


15. The rope 

















GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


VERBS COMPLETED — PRACTICE TEST 15 
Fill each blank with the correct or preferred word or expression: 


1. I-be glad to see you again, (shall, will) 

2. We - perhaps have time to stop off at San Remo, (shall, 

will) 

3. We - for about three hours on the spring of the car and 


finally about four o’clock were ready to start out again, (were working, worked) 

4. Alcoholic liquors -in use ever since the beginning of the 

agricultural period of the human race, (have been, were) 

5. The woman_in. (came, come) 

6. In the November issue there _ an article about interior 

decoration, (has been, was) 


7. We never_in a tent before that night, (did sleep, had slept) 

8. The house_for forty years and is still in good condition. 


(has stood, stood) 

9. Nobody_him since, (has seen, saw) 

10. She answered “Yes” but_go away, (don’t, didn’t) 

11. I_my homework yet. (didn’t do, haven’t done) 

12. Smallpox in the old days _ many deaths, (has caused, 

caused) 


13. There’s a young boy 


33 


on straw, (laying, lying) 















PRACTICE TEST ( Continued) 


14. Lord Ronald wants to_down and rest, (lay, lie) 


15. The tired little girl_down in the snow, (laid, lay) 

16. There was Dan_in a heap by a haystack, (laying, lying) 

17. I could hardly_down, (lay, lie) 

18. He_there motionless, (laid, lay) 


19. Some of the cattle are_under the elm tree, (laying, lying) 


20. Why don’t you_down? (set, sit) 

21. _I borrow your fountain pen? (can, may) 

22. Helen_her book with her. (ain’t got, hasn’t) 

23. Jim-going along with our class to Washington, (ain’t, 


isn’t) 


24. You should-been on time, (have, of) 

25. He must-had a heart of stone, (have, of) 


34 














GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


Name-Class_Date_ 

Perfect Score 33 Right-Wrong_Score_Per Cent__ 

(Right - Wrong = Score) 

UNIT VIII 

CORRECT ADJECTIVES, ADVERBS, AND PREPOSITIONS IN 
SIMPLE SENTENCES 

DIAGNOSTIC TEST 


Fill 

each blank with the correct or preferred word or expression: 

1. 

The people made 

offering to the gods, (a, an) 

2. 

I like this kind of 

. (a knife, knife) 

3 - 

I am enjoying 

book, (this, this here) 

4 * 

It is hard to memorize . 

poem, (that, that there) 

5 - 

kind of races is interesting, (these, this) 

6 . 

We have 

kind of gloves in brown and black, (that, those) 

7 - 

He couldn’t see 

until five o’clock, (anybody, nobody) 

8 . 

He wasn’t making 

noise, (any, no) 

9 - 

I haven’t 

_ baseball glove, (a, got no) 

10. 

She didn’t do 

. (anything, nothing) 

11. 

I_ 

time to waste, (ain’t got no, haven’t any) 

12. 

I don’t want 

. (any, none) 

13 - 

There aren’t 

forks left in the box. (any, no) 

35 






















DIAGNOSTIC TEST {Continued) 


14. That hasn’t_ _ to do with the case, (anything, nothing) 

15. I_hardly see the blackboard, (can, can’t) 

16. Josephine is the_dresser of the two. (better, best) 

17. Sultana is my_horse, (favorite, most favorite) 


18. Rebecca wished to move to a - village, (livelier, more 

livelier) 

19. Herbert ranked very_in his class, (high, highly) 

20. It hurt_ (terrible, terribly) 

21. The cat drank out of a cup_ (easily, easy; 

22. Richmond Hill played very_ (good, well) 

23. In the tent I slept_on a bed of balsam, (comfortable, 

comfortably) 

24. You took those books back very_ (prompt, promptly) 

25. She was_ (awful ugly, ugly) 


26. I don’t know “Sea Fever” very_ (good, well) 

27. Overhead the birds are singing very_ (sweet, sweetly) 


28. -bad weather the girls were unable to play captain ball in 

the school yard on Thursday, (because of, due to) ^ 

29. I compared the British movement_the American, (from. 


with) 


36 


















GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


30. _the sofa is a heavy table, (behind, in back of) 

31. In the treasure chamber there are three caskets full _ 

diamonds, (of, with) 


32. The queen tossed the diamonds_the river, (in, into) 

33. Willard copied the assignment_me. (from, off) 


37 






CORRECT ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS IN SIMPLE SENTENCES 

PRACTICE TEST 16 


Insert in each blank the correct or preferred word or expression: 


1. He is_honest man. (a, an) 

2. What kind of_did your father buy? (automobile, an auto¬ 


mobile) 


3. _crypt was under the city, (this, this here) 

4. _cotton is grown on the Piedmont plateau, (this, this here) 


5. I haven’t prepared_lesson, (this, this here) 


6. _people ran away, (these, these here) 

7. I don’t like_kind of people, (that, those) 


8. He spoke for an hour in_tiresome way. (a, that) 

9. Where can one buy_kind of gloves? (that, those) 

10. I enjoy associating with_kind of boys, (that, those) 

11. They didn’t have_machinery, (any, no) 

12. They didn’t have_to do. (anything, nothing) 

13. William the Conqueror didn’t have_interest in the welfare 

of the Anglo-Saxons, (any, no) 


14. I haven’t had-time to see her. (any, no) 

15. I don’t see- (anything, nothing) 

16. I-English grammar, (ain’t got no, haven’t an) 

38 


















GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


17. I didn’t promise-such thing, (any, no) 

18. I’m not going to take-music lesson on a day like this. 

(a, no) 


19. He didn’t have-confidence in the doctor, (any, no) 

20. I don’t know-about that topic, (anything, nothing) 

21. I-hardly lift the battery, (can, can’t) 


22. Goethe is one of the world’s _writers, (foremost, most 

foremost) 


23. Please be a little_ (more quieter, quieter) 

24. John is the_of the two. (stronger, strongest) 

25. Which is the_singer, Jerry or Harry? (better, best) 


26. The company’s advertisements are_ (unique, very unique) 


27. I burnt my arm _ last night, (good, severely) 

28. I _ was stiff, (sure, surely) 

29. It’s _ cold out here in the street, (awful, very) 


30. Everybody treated me_ (good, well) 

31. We won the game_ (easily, easy) 

32. Our food wasn’t cooked- (good, well) 

33. Our prospects looked quite _ for a championship team. 


(good, well) 


39 



















PRACTICE TEST (< Continued) 


34. The battle raged_ (furious, furiously) 

35. They didn’t do the work_ (proper, properly) 


36. He_hardly any money, (didn’t have, had) 

37. I don’t see_difference, (any, no) 


38. Harry’s composition is quite_ (good, well) 

39. He will return in_an hour, (a half, half) 

40. Joe Storer is the_pitcher of the two. (best, better) 


40 









GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


PREPOSITIONS — PRACTICE TEST 17 

Fill each blank with the correct or preferred word or expression: 

1. The old man approached the two strangers and invited them_ 

his camp, (in, into) 

2. “One hundred!” cried the man_me. (behind, in back of) 

3. I got one_my father, (by, from) 

4. Has either one of you seen the book_yesterday morning? 

(after, since) 

5. Did you get the assignment_Margaret? (from, off of) 


6. Get a transfer_the conductor, (from, off) 

7. We all got_the car. (in, into) 


8. By working during vacation one becomes familiar- 

business, (along the line of, with) 

9. Did you copy the poem_the blackboard ? (from, off) 

10. _excess oil in the crankcase the spark plug fouled, (because 

of, due to) 

11. _the rain the game was called off after the fifth inning. 

(because of, due to) 

12. We spent a whole month_England, (at, in) 

13. After swimming_Great Peconic Bay for a half hour we 

the motor boat, (in, into) (in, into) 

41 


climbed 
















PRACTICE TEST {Continued) 


14. Who sits_you in the history class? (behind, in back of) 

15. _the snow and ice the game was not played, (because of, 

due to) 

16. Then we went_the house, (in, into) 

17. _sickness Willard was unable to run the quarter mile against 

Washington High, (because of, due to) 

18. We stayed_New York three days, (at, in) 

19. I got the knife_Jerry, (from, off of) 


20. There was a spirit of friendliness _ the ten contestants. 

(among, between) 


42 









GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


Name - Class _ Date _ 

Perfect Score 25 Wrong _ Score _ Per Cent 


UNIT IX 

PARTICIPLES, GERUNDS, AND INFINITIVES 

DIAGNOSTIC TEST 

In these sentences draw one line under each participle, two lines under each 

gerund, and a dotted line (.) under each infinitive. Underline the 

whole participle or gerund, whether it is made up of one, two, or three words. 
When marking an infinitive, place the dotted line under both the verb and the sign 
to if it is expressed. 

1. Standing there, they looked first at the animals and then at me without 
asking a question. 

2. Having lived on a farm for two years, I know something about breaking a 
colt and milking a cow. 

3. Before going to the game I helped mother finish the dishes. 

4. After resting for half an hour I started out again, eager to catch a glimpse 
of the skyscrapers of New York. 

5. The purpose of this flight has been to demonstrate the feasibility of estab¬ 
lishing aerial communication with all the countries of the world. 

6. After spending a half hour with the old salt it is easy to picture him as 
cook and sailor and navigator. 

7. It made every one of them dreadfully seasick to go galloping and rocking 
over the plains on a camel’s back. 

8. She ought not to keep him waiting. 

9. I learned to swim by lying on the piano stool and practicing strokes. 

10. After trying five times to solve the algebra problem I asked my father to 
help me. 

11. Having been defeated at three successive elections, he gave up politics. 


43 









PARTICIPLES — PRACTICE TEST 18 


In these sentences draw a line under each participle: 

1. Near a willow stub the mice had been out in the starlight, making short 
excursions and leaving a lacy network. 

2. Goods not worth advertising are not worth selling. ' 

3. The city overlooking the Golden Gate is apart from all others in the fas¬ 
cination experienced by visitors. 

4. Taking another ferry to Mill Valley, we may visit the Muir Woods National 
Monument, with its grove of redwoods, some with a girth of forty-six feet and a 
height of two hundred fifty feet, preserved for posterity in a canyon on the lower 
western slope of Mount Tamalpais. 

5. There was the robin, perched on the handle of the teakettle and trying to 
attract our attention. 

6. The villa stood on an eminence, circled by austere pines, and terraced with 
innumerable vegetable gardens and olive trees. 

7. That small girl in her woolly red coat, with her golden locks peeping in¬ 
quisitively from under her hat, and her blue eyes sparkling with the keen zest of 
living, was I. 

8. Trudging across the field to find the cows, I heard whiny sounds coming 
from a mound of snow beside the cabin. 

9. The men were all in fine spirits, working on their winter equipment all day, 
and every day celebrating the birthday of one of the crew. 

10. Through most of his stories, written to entertain young and old, one can 
feel the background of the waters, the tug and pull and roar of the waves breaking 
on the New England coast. 


44 


GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


GERUNDS — PRACTICE TEST 19 

In the following sentences draw a line under each gerund: 

1. Who could help loving the tattered little Parisian waif waiting at our door? 

2. By following the lights at night and keeping a close watch by day, I found 
my way among the islands and reefs scattered along our course. 

3. To tell the truth, I detest the whole idea of selling one’s name and nothing 

else. 

4. After reading history and travel books he was equipped for observing con¬ 
ditions in the countries bordering on the Mediterranean. 

5. His flights have always helped in extending knowledge of flying conditions. 

6. After meeting the distinguished guests some of the airmen fell asleep be¬ 
tween the serving of the soup and the fish. 

7. Those noisy little sparrows have stopped twittering at last and have gone 
to sleep. 

8. Being caught in the ice is all in the day’s work in Arctic navigation. 

9. In fact she insisted on my coming here and seeing for myself. 

10. Having the habit of looking on the bright side of things helps one to meet 
troubles with a smile. 


45 


INFINITIVES — PRACTICE TEST 20 


In the following sentences draw a line under each infinitive. Underline both 
the verb and the sign to when it is expressed. 

1. Lowell Thomas by showing pictures of Palestine and Egypt made me wish 
to go to the Holy Land. 

2. Something had to be done to help the family living opposite us. 

3. Our policy during the past ten years has been not only to help but also to 
teach the natives to help themselves. 

4. I do not seem to be able to figure that out. 

5. The hardest thing in business is to get men to take responsibility. 

6. The government, desiring to help the farmers, undertook to build large 
dams to store the water for the dry season. 

7. It is jolly to know a shipowner and sail on a ship of his. 

8. Let us try to catch the nine-thirty train. 

9. They persuaded him to borrow a mask and join a band of students out for 
some fun. 

10. Elephants making their homes in the African jungles have been known to 
pull houses down to get at the inmates and to tear men to pieces. 



46 


GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


Name-Class_Date _ 

Perfect Score 20 Wrong _ Score _ PerCent 


UNIT X 

ADJECTIVE CLAUSES, ADVERB CLAUSES, AND NOUN CLAUSES 

DIAGNOSTIC TEST 

In the following sentences draw one line under each adjective clause, two lines 

under each adverb clause, and a dotted line (. r . .) under each noun clause. 

Underline every word belonging to the clause and no word which is part of another 
clause. 

1. Few who go to the theater demand that they be made to think. 

2. The same boy who attempts to “rattle” an opposing pitcher will stand 
quietly and considerately by in a golf match while his opponent makes a shot. 

3. You should exercise your head so that you will be able to enjoy the things 
that are lost to the mentally awkward, weak, blind, and slow. 

4. When one contemplates the freight trains, trucks, steamships, and other 
means of transportation, it is hard to understand where everything is going. 

5. When the bear realizes he is surrounded, his instinct for safety leads him 
to make a break for the woods. 

6. When I reached the station I discovered that my train was an hour late. 

7. At night, as we ascended the great river, we could see distant lights in soli¬ 
tary houses and in tiny hamlets and villages which lined the shores all the way to 
Montreal. 

8. Every man feels that all the beautiful sentiments in the world weigh less 
than a single lovely action. 

9. That the oil waste cast up in the sea is a nuisance to all who use the beaches 
is self-evident. 

10. “Pigs is pigs,” stoutly insisted the local express agent when quoting rates 
on a shipment of guinea pigs. 


47 









ADJECTIVE CLAUSES — PRACTICE TEST 21 


In the following sentences draw a line under each adjective clause. Underscore 
every word which belongs to the adjective clause and no word which is part of an¬ 
other clause. 

1. He makes no friends who never made a foe. 

2. The only failure a man ought to fear is failure in cleaving to the purpose he 
sees to be best. 

3. The greatest pleasure I know is to do a good deed by stealth and to have it 
found out by accident. 

4. Of the plays you have read which do you like best? 

5. The Great Valley, smiling with the bounty nature has richly bestowed 
upon it, is lined with dynamic towns and cities. 

6. Who is most dead — a hero by whose monument you stand, or his de¬ 
scendants of whom you have never heard? — Thoreau 

7. The newcomers found themselves in a land where farming was practically 
at a standstill. 

8. I lived in southern New England at the time when the memorable flight 
of wild pigeons took place in that section of the country. 

9. America, which is another name for the United States, has a climate which 
permits outdoor swimming in some section or other all the year round. 

10. The acorn from which sprang this live oak was placed in the cleft of a 
granite boulder by a chipmunk that was storing up food for the winter. 


48 


GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


ADVERB CLAUSES — PRACTICE TEST 22 

In the following sentences draw a line under each adverb clause. Underscore 
every word which belongs to the adverb clause and no word which is part of another 
clause. 

1. When a storm is too widespread to be circled, the plane waits before 
starting. 

2. Daniel Kerlin woke when the clock in the kitchen beneath him struck ten. 

3. As she read she was thinking hard. 

4. They know no more about the affair than I. 

5. Although some boys dislike Jerry, he is a wonderful companion if one is not 
too busy a person. 

6. The pores open when the skin is subjected to heat, and contract when ex¬ 
posed to anything cold. 

7. Bananas will stand more moisture than most fruit trees, and do their best 
when they have plenty of it. 

8. When working hard, Mr. Eaton is more irritable than a bear with a sore 
head. 

9. We are all poets when we read a poem well. 

10. If a German, Italian, or Frenchman spoke to you, would you know what he 
was saying? 


49 


NOUN CLAUSES — PRACTICE TEST 23 


In the following sentences draw a line under each noun clause. Underscore 
every word which belongs to the noun clause and no word which is part of another 
clause. 

1. Although I have studied the question for ten minutes, I am still wondering 
whether there is an answer. 

2. Some one remembered a rumor that there was a lone Eskimo hut ten miles 
away. 

3. I don’t know when I’ll be back but hope to reach home in time for the tennis 
tournament, which begins on September 1. 

4. We want what we want. 

5. What you will see depends upon you. 

6. It has been proved that the earth is round. 

7. What one really gets in college cannot be bought with money. 

8. “Then why did we leave?” asked Perkins, who up to this time had taken 
no part in the conversation. 

9. It is generally assumed that the tiger is a harmful creature. 

10. Fall weather in Wyoming means for weeks what Eastern states enjoy oc¬ 
casionally and call Indian summer. 


50 


GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


Name - -Class _ Date _ 

Perfect Score 20 Wrong_Score _ Per Cent 


UNIT XI 

KINDS OF SENTENCES 

DIAGNOSTIC TEST 

Classify the following sentences by writing in each parenthesis S for simple 
sentence, Cd for compound sentence, Cx for complex sentence, Cd-cx for compound- 
complex sentence, and Cx-cx for complex-complex sentence: 

( ) 1. Laura put back the receiver, flung her arms over her head, took 

a deep breath, stretched, and let her arms fall. 

( ) 2. There was great merriment and feasting, and there was danc¬ 

ing and music. 

( ) 3. The ferry boat bumped softly against the floating dock where 

fishermen sat mending their nets. 

( ) 4. A typhoon is a violent whirlwind, and the term is used specifi¬ 

cally of the whirlwinds in the China seas because they have terrible energy. 

( ) 5. Superb golf course, model yacht harbors, bridle paths, and 

play fields look out over the Golden Gate and blue Pacific. 

( ) 6. I wish I had gone to the concert. 

( ) 7. Of course we all make mistakes, but we learn by them. 

( ) 8. There is not a man who ever got what a great university had 

to give who ever could repay the university. 

( ) 9. It was a dark night and the wind was blowing a gale right off 

shore. 

( ) 10. Now the corn, barley, and oats are high and green. 

( ) 11. I wanted to go somewhere that other people hadn’t gone. 

( ) 12. That’s the best pie I ever,ate, and I’m hoping to see another 

one like it some day. 

( ) 13. We passed Three Rivers at night and saw the lights on the trad¬ 

ing post. 

( ) 14. “You may sit over there while I telephone,” she said. 

( ) 15. The annual rainfall is about thirty-two inches and comes at 

any time of the year. 

( ) 16. It begins to look as if it were time to remake the American 

geographies. 


51 








DIAGNOSTIC TEST (< Continued) 


( ) 17. I asked how he knew that they were no good. 

( ) 18. High school boys think that the big university teams are suc¬ 

cessful because they have wizard coaches who teach their teams elaborate and 
intricate plays. 

( ) 19. The Eskimo hut was there but it had been deserted for years. 

( ) 20. A raven croaked as he flapped across the valley. 


52 


GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


KINDS OF SENTENCES — PRACTICE TEST 24 


Classify the following sentences by writing in each parenthesis S for simple 
sentence, Cd for compound sentence, Cx for complex sentence, Cd-cx for compound- 
complex sentence, Cx-cx for complex-complex sentence: 


( ) i. All the boys and girls danced and yelled. 

( ) 2. Don’t shiver at the goal when the puck comes singing down 


the ice. 

( ) 3. “What is your name?” said the clerk. 

( ) 4. Delivering milk in bottles was a new thing then, and I was the 

first to do it in our part of the country. 

( ) 5. He proceeded to obey silently, but was confused and embar¬ 

rassed at this unexpected turn of events. 

( ) 6. When I name Will Rogers as its star and add that it is his best 

picture to date, you will agree that Lightnin ’ needs no further recommendation. 

( ) 7. If I knew London as well as father does, I should be sure never 

to be bored in that city. 

( ) 8. Mother and father sat down and watched the farther shore. 

( ) 9. His voice is melodious and firm and it never rises beyond 


control. 


( ) 10. The Indians spread their blankets on the creeks that carried a 

film of oil, wrung them out, and sold the product as “Seneca Oil.” 

( } 11. Nearly half the world’s wool comes from the Southern Hemi¬ 

sphere, but the greater part is used north of the equator, where population is denser. 

( ) 12. The authorities on world food supply do not know whether 

population is going to increase so fast that starvation will result. 

( ) 13. As the submarine warship grows larger, it becomes increasingly 

difficult to operate. 

( ) 14. The wintry blasts had no terror for the younger generation, 

and skating was the order of the season. 

( ) 15. Marion and I took a final look about the apartment and then 

went to the door. 

( ) 16. I don’t know when I’ll be back. 

( ) 17. To construct a house that will withstand an earthquake is not 

difficult if you can command the right materials and good carpenters. 

( ) 18. When I was a child, my older brother sometimes fought my 

battles for me, but the time comes when a boy must stand on his own legs. 

( ) 19. Men gather in groups at the long tables, and discuss the events 

of the day. 


53 


PRACTICE TEST ( Continued) 


( ) 20. Our vessel was a bark of thirteen hundred tons, and besides 

the officers and the crew we had ten passengers. 

( ) 21. I knew I had won my point. 

( ) 22. It is said hat Columbus tied the Santa Maria to a ceiba tree 

when he reached Santo Domingo. 

( ) 23. His years sit lightly on him, and he still does much of the work 

on his estate. 

( ) 24. The men and women laughed and cheered. 

( ) 25. The training of birds is a task requiring patience and diligence; 

the breeding of them is a life work. 


54 


GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


Name-Class _ Date _ 

Perfect Score 25 Wrong _ Score _ Per Cent 


UNIT XII 

PUNCTUATION OF COMPLEX AND COMPOUND SENTENCES 

DIAGNOSTIC TEST 

Punctuate the following sentences. Overpunctuation is just as bad as under¬ 
punctuation. Therefore a sentence is wrong if an unnecessary mark is inserted or a 
needed mark is omitted. Do not divide one good sentence into two sentences. 

1. The Review of Reviews does not have any sentimental stories cooking articles 
and style pages therefore I like this magazine 

2. There are many pictures in King Solomon s Mines some of which I shall tell 
you about 

3. I expect to be there promptly at ten o’clock and if I am more than fifteen 
minutes late don’t wait for me 

y _ '/ 

4. You needn’t talk to me about that said Baker, I’m not the proprietor, 

5. Observing many old people one notices that some liv^ and others conserve 
life 

6. Stories make friends for a magazine the departments and special articles 
keep them 

7. Intelligent people should read books like Eben Holden said Ethan less in¬ 
telligent ones should read the type of Pride and Prejudice 

8. If the weather is good I heard him say I shall meet you 

9. Romeo was a member of the Montague family who were the deadly foes 
of the Capulets 

10. On her visit she meets Henry Tilney whom she marries after many trials 
and tribulations 

11. A boy who is willing to work usually finds a job that he enjoys 

12. One day Small One went out on the road to play with Emma whose mother 
sold candy and soda to passers-by 

13. She will live just two doors away from you therefore you will be able to see 
her frequently 

14. His eyes which listlessly scanned the buildings were dull 

15. Memorizing is easy thinking is hard » 

55 








DIAGNOSTIC TEST {Continued) 


16. Soon after he got a job as tutor in a boys’ school where he became the clown 
of the school 

17. Tom said Mr Baker can you keep a secret 

18. A great part of the book is history some of it however is fiction 

19. Just as we succeeded in steering the sled to the side of the road the auto¬ 
mobile passed us 

20. Is there any harm in that inquired Margaret 

21. Experience keeps a dear school says Franklin but fools will learn in no other 

22. Was it not a privilege asked Marion to hear Alfred Noyes read his own 
poems 

23. Who said He that lives on hope will die fasting 

24. Jim said Are you going to experiment on me 

25. Who said The greatest of faults is to be conscious of none 


56 


GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


PUNCTUATION OF QUOTATIONS — PRACTICE TEST 25 

Punctuate and capitalize the following sentences: 

1. What subjects are you studying this term said Mr Arnold 

2. This is a kind of radio said Kenneth I have never seen before 

3. It’s been my experience drawled the mender that men who are worth hiring 
come after their jobs 

4. I have discovered no defect in the magazine said Harold there are however 
two outstanding merits worth speaking of 

5. I want to see you he said about something special 

6. What makes you so sure of that said father 

7. Come sir brace up said the captain what do you mean by running away 
from danger 

8. What do you want growled the old man who sent you here 

9. Sit right down for a long talk said the artist who gave you my Los Angeles 
address 

10. Are you going to the Army-Navy game said Mr Williams 

11. Are you coming to the party said Helen we all are hoping to see you 

12. This isn’t an ordinary knife said George it’s a Boy Scout knife with eight 
blades 

13. Why are you frightened said Marjorie to little Tim the dog will not hurt 

you 

14. Then said Max the crowd in the stands shouted hold them 

15. A man in a small boat one of the few witnesses shouted they’re ofF for 
England 

16. Pure blue Elkins said is rare in nature 

17. All dreaded war said the President all sought to avert it 

18. Why she cried that makes us rich! 

19. Do you wish the court to understand said Judge Thatcher that you refuse 
to renew your dog license 

20. Do you mind telling me said the postman as he handed the letters to May 
Lamberton Becker why so many boys and girls from all parts of the country write 
to you 


57 


PUNCTUATION OF COMPLEX SENTENCES — PRACTICE TEST 26 


Punctuate the following complex sentences: 

1. “The Great Game” which is in the January issue will interest you 

2. If you think twice before you speak once you will speak twice the better 
for it 

3. G. K. Chesterton who has been living in South Bend is delighted with the 
kindly and tolerant spirit he found there 

4. The beads that are manufactured in Venice are artistic and attractive 

5. Suddenly I heard a sniff which grew stronger and stronger 

6. The place in which they live is called Sherwood Forest 

7. The highwayman is riding toward Bess’s house which in the picture one can 
see in the distance. 

8. The English class of which I am a member is preparing a classbook entitled 
“Favorite Magazines” 

9. In the old days a sailor was often flogged because he annoyed the captain 
and could do nothing to protect himself 

10. Quick as a flash we darted up the street to the blacksmith shop where we 
implored the owner to give us four discarded horseshoes 

11. The Panama Canal Zone to which Major General Gorgas was sent had the 
unenviable reputation of being about the most unhealthful spot in America 

12. The Mentor is a wise and faithful counselor for its contents are always in¬ 
forming 

13. The December issue contains a picture of the editorial staff which consists 
of five men and three women 

14. Every month Country Life prints a reproduction of a famous painting 
which is always worth cutting out and framing 

15. When I was a boy in the hills of Vermont twelve miles from the railroad 
the only merchandise I saw was in the country store 

16. Laughing Boy Oliver La Forge’s first novel is as you doubtless know an 
authentic story of Indian life 

17. I thanked Locksley and said I would make use of the horn which he had 
given me 

18. Though apparently amused by questions regarding his personal life Stalin 
gave the desired information saying he had a wife and three children the oldest 
being a boy of twenty-one 

19. The November issue had an article about the schoolhouse that graduated 
into a house 

20. A boy with experience in the kind of work he wishes to do secures a position 
more easily than one without experience 


58 


GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


PUNCTUATION OF COMPOUND SENTENCES — PRACTICE TEST 27 

Punctuate the following compound sentences: 

1. Oliver Twist was born in a poorhouse and a few minutes after he was born 
his mother died 

2. Another fault of my writing is poor sentence structure sometimes I put a 
period at the end of a half-sentence 

3. He was just he could be kind 

4. I fear that most of our modern co-eds have no respect at all for arithmetic 
and accounts at least their fathers seem to think so on the first of each month 

5. I was heartily thankful when the voyage was over and I don’t know when 
I have set foot on land with more relief than I did on my arrival in America 

6. Mr Ahnelt had a knack of picking styles and people recognizing his ability 
began to question him as to where they could procure the patterns 

7. People should not read dull books at any time but I suppose it is more diffi¬ 
cult to read a dull book in the summer than in the winter 

8. It looked as if more snow were not far off and the roads might be drifted 
waist-deep by another morning but never a guest was kept away from the feast 

9. Such extreme altitudes may not be attained in the immediate future but 
engineers are trying to perfect plans and equipment to reach them 

10. A sudden and violent wind blew their tent so far away that they never 
found it again then torrents of rain beat down on the unprotected group 

11. The Open Road jor Boys was founded in 1919 and in 1925 the circulation 
was less than a thousand 

12. Drums banged women scurried 

13. Modern women and girls want to wear the most up-to-date in clothing and 
the Pictorial Review is known to have the latest 

14. Bridges now span the river elevators and granaries are all along its banks 

15. He wanted me to try the sport of diving through the ice because I thought 
it too dangerous he went off alone 

16. Men are not necessarily averse to frequenting eating places that are at¬ 
tractively got up but it is almost too much to expect them to go hungry simply for 
the sake of interior decoration 

17. Locksley entered the contest his opponent was one of the king’s men 

18. The friendly little dinner party was over and every one of the guests had 
thoroughly enjoyed it 

19. The waves dash high on the stern coast the storm tosses the branches of 
the trees to and fro 

20. College students work hard to pass their subjects therefore when they go 
out into the business world they are prepared to work hard to succeed 

59 


















































































































































GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


Nam _ Class_Date _u_ 

Perfect Score 25 Right_Wrong_Score_PerCent _ 

(Right — Wrong = Score) 

UNIT XIII 

PRONOUNS IN COMPLEX AND COMPOUND SENTENCES 

DIAGNOSTIC TEST 

Fill each blank with the correct or preferred word or expression: 

. _ iy 

1. Half way through the story the reader is uncertain as to _ 

Holgrave really is. (who, whom) 

2. She is bigger than _ (I, me) 

3. John said that the guilty one wasn’t_ (he, him) 

4. He is better than_in history. (I, me) 

5. The cashier asked_signed the check, (who, whom) 

6. Please hand this letter to a friend_you think will be interested 

in it. (who, whom) 

7. One day my father told my brother and _ that he would 

take us to the Harvard-Yale game. (I, me) 


8. No one except _ knew what caused the accident, (he, him) 

9. Lend the book to _ asks for it. (whoever, whomever) 

10. The player_the captain expected to fill Monte’s place was 


barred from the game, (who, whom) 

61 



















DIAGNOSTIC TEST ( Continued) 


11. __•_do you think will be elected captain of the football team? 

(who, whom) 

12. Whenever I hear any one say “swell,” I could pounce on_ 

(him, them) 

13. If a person once reads the Saturday Evening Post, _will be¬ 

come a regular reader, (he, he or she, they) 

14. Does any one have a favorite song_would like to have sung? 

(he, he or she, they) 

15. The life of an engineer demands that_be able to endure 

hardships, (he, they) 

16. The poem shows that one may get pleasure out of an idle hour by thinking 

back over the memories_of pleasant days, (he has, you have) 

17. Everyone should memorize “How Did You Die?” for it will help_ 

to fight the battles of life, (him, them) 

18. When one is excited,-may lose self-control, (he, one, they) 

19. If any one sits in the broken seat,_will be uncomfortable. 

(he, they) 

20. We are trying to decide_should be sent, (who, whom) 

21. It is not-who are in charge of the club meeting, (us, we) 

22. I am going to tell an incident that happened to 

ning while I was at home alone, (me, myself) 

62 


one eve- 














GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


23. Below the cartoon_, “At Last the Kangaroo Has Become 

Popular.” (is printed, it says) 

24. Every one feels, while reading Edgar Allan Poe, as if cold eels were sliding 

down_back, (his, his or her, their) 

25. If any one dislikes the classbook subject, let-say so now. 

(him, him or her, them) 


63 





CASE OF PRONOUNS — PRACTICE TEST 28 


Fill each blank with the correct or preferred word or expression: 

1. He knows his history better than_ (I, me) 

2. You are almost as bad as_ (I, me) 

3. Vote for a candidate_you are sure is honest and intelli¬ 

gent. (who, whom) 

4. Do you ever wish you were_ ? (he, him) 

5. Walter is a more interesting talker than_ (her, she) 

6. Ruth can play better than _ (he, him) 

7. The princess was more beautiful than _ (her, she) 

8. Bob likes the canoe as well as you and _ do. (I, me) 

9. The other girls laughed at Olive and_ (I, me) 

10. That is the type of man _ he would like to have as a friend. 

(who, whom) 

11. Dr. Williams, _ Dr. Wheeler has the pleasure to succeed, 

has the same telephone number as his predecessor, (who, whom) 

12. Nina Wade is the girl_Harold Thompson is going to marry. 

(who, whom) 

13. When the man _ Othello thought was his friend was dying, 

Othello learned the truth from him. (who, f whom) 

64 















GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


14. Mr. Hopkins,_ 

, you know, receives a salary of #50,000 a 

year, spoke on business honesty. 

(who, whom) 

15. Martin objected to_ 

_ _ was selected to carry on the work. 

(whoever, whomever) 



65 




AGREEMENT OF PRONOUN WITH ANTECEDENT 

PRACTICE TEST 29 


Fill each blank with the correct or preferred word or expression. 

1. No one was sure_answer was correct, (his, his or her, their) 

2. When a father, brother, or friend has died, it is useless to wish you had been 

kinder to_ (him, them) 

3. Boys and girls enjoy reading stories that give_a thrill once 

in a while, (one, you, them) 

4. One who has a position has a chance to demonstrate what_ 

learned in school, (he, they) 

5. The air this morning tells_that spring is near, (one, you) 

6. It is you who_to blame, (are, is) 

7. If any one of you likes mysteries, I advise_to read Poe’s 

short stories, (him, them) 

8. It is I who_to see you. (wish, wishes) 

9. I like a person who always does_best, (his, their) 

10. Many things were called for that_not in stock, (was, were) 

11. I haven’t learned all the rules that_to the comma, (relate, 

relates) 

12. In school I am acquiring a knowledge of the subjects that_ 

information about the world and life today, (give, gives) 

66 














GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


13. If any one fails to prepare his homework,_required to do 

extra work, (he is, they are) 

14. Any one can join if_to. (he wishes, they wish) 

15. Walk right up to some one and ask_what the name of the 

building is. (him, them) 


67 



















I 






' 







































£ 
















GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


Name_Class_Date_ 

Perfect Score 25 Right_Wrong _ Score_Per Cent 

(Right — Wrong = Score) 


UNIT XIV 

VERBS IN COMPLEX AND COMPOUND SENTENCES 

DIAGNOSTIC TEST 

Fill each blank with the correct or preferred word or expression: 

1. Walt Whitman_tell how Lincoln died, (doesn’t, don’t) 

2. The subscribers think so well of the American Magazine that they tell their 

friends about it and thereby_its popularity, (spread, spreads) 

3. Mr. Dillon said to her suddenly, “_you ever poor?” (was, 

were) 

4. There_men in the party who could tell sad stories, (was, 

were) 

5. There_many more at the game than we expected to see. 

(was, were) 

6. Before I knew it, the ten weeks’ vacation_over, (was, 

were) 

7. She has one of the sewing machines that_worked by hand. 


(are, is) 


69 
















DIAGNOSTIC TEST (Continued) 


8. We hope that your friend has received the goods and that the material and 


style_satisfactory, (are, is) 

9. We think_too many beauty contests going on. (there are, 


there’s) 

10. Not_the museum since I was very young, I was amazed at 

its growth, (having seen, seeing) 

11. Betty Zane and Clarence are two books which I_several 

years ago. (have read, read) 

12. The Yale graduate was once happy and popular; then he_ 

into obscurity because of a sudden catastrophe which took his grit away from him. 
(faded, fades) 

13. The article is written by Rear Admiral E. R. Stitt, who_ 

surgeon of the United States Navy since 1900. (has been, was) 

14. Stark himself was in the midst of the fray, fighting with the soldiers, and 

_out of the conflict so blackened with powder and smoke that he 

could hardly be recognized, (came, come) 

15. The father and his men are standing on the shore yelling to the girl, but 


the waves-out their cries, (drown, drowned) 

16. After we-a short time, a thunderstorm came up. 


(had ridden, were riding) 


70 











GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


17. If the applicant-no experience, he is not so likely to be 

given the position, (had, has had) 

18. Until a few months ago I did not realize what an interesting magazine the 

Saturday Evening Post _. (is, was) 

19. I shall be grateful to you if you_send me a prospectus of 

the magazine, (shall, will) 

20. Don’t throw lighted cigarettes where papers are_around. 

(laying, lying) 

21. She wondered whether he was_down, (laying, lying) 


22. I wish I_in a warm house now. (was, were) 

23. If I_you, I wouldn’t go skating today, (was, were) 

24. I could _ passed the examination if I had studied harder. 


(have, of) 

25. He must have_that he was taking a grave step, (knew, 

known) 


71 











AGREEMENT OF VERB AND SUBJECT — PRACTICE TEST 30 
Fill each blank with the correct or preferred word or expression: 

1. People who manufacture chewing gum and cigarettes-rich. 

(become, becomes) 

2. She_think she’ll pass, (doesn’t, don’t) 

3. Any one noticing these pictures_likely to ask where you 

got them, (are, is) 

4. Do you know the three men that_in the wineshop? (was, 

were) 

5. “-you at the meeting of the French Club yesterday?” said 

Michael, (was, were) 

6. In front of the store was an electric diamond ring, whose rays_ 

blue, (was, were) 

7. Every young man or woman_taken for what he or she really 

is. (are, is) 

8. The audience - not so imaginative as playgoers were in 

Shakespeare’s time, (are, is) 

9. People say that only one lawyer out of ten_ (succeed, 

succeeds) 

10. All the statements he made-supported by evidence, (are, 

is) 

she’s a spy. (think, thinks) 

72 


11. Some people 













GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


12. The expression on the men’s faces-that there is something 

wrong, (indicate, indicates) 

13. Because the demand for these books_been so great, we are 

able to lower the price, (has, have) 

14. Her father was a minister, as_several of her uncles, (was, 

were) 

15. The essay explains what-, in the opinion of the author, the 

three real reasons for studying Latin, (are, is) 

16. Things one is interested in_easily remembered, (are, is) 

17. In the hamlet there_no men that_young 

enough to go to war. (was, were) (was, were) 

18. Two books which I enjoyed reading_ Green Mansions and 

The Boyhood of a Naturalist. (are, is) 

19. These three lines_the part which each person_ 

in the story, (show, shows) (play, plays) 

20. Last winter there_in New York more bread lines than there 

ever had been before, (was, were) 


73 













TENSE — PRACTICE TEST 31 


Fill each blank with the correct or preferred word or expression: 


1. This is the first time I _ urged to reply, (feel, have felt) 

2 . I hope you _ to see me soon, (come, will come) 


3. I shall look pretty carefully into that bill before I-for it. 

(vote, would vote) 

4. When he_, the ice was half gone, (came, come) 

5. He tried to hit the center of the target but_ (failed, fails) 

6. We asked him whether he was looking for a piece of green paper. He 
_“Yes.” (answered, answers) 

7. On September 7 we arrived at home from Roxbury, where we_ 

the summer, (have been spending, spent) 

8. Lord Ullin is standing on a stormy shore watching his daughter, who_ 

in a boat with her lover, (is, was) 

9. Last summer Stratford Hall was thrown open to the public, and it was ex¬ 
pected that each year thousands of persons_visit the mansion in 

which perhaps more great men have lived than in any other in America, (will, 
would) 

10. When a small boy, Davis_with his parents to America. 

(came, come) 

11. If the Black Knight-a coward, he would have left Wamba 

to his fate, (had been, was) 

74 













GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


12. I was very much surprised when Andrew _ back home. 

(came, come) 

13. Tenements which_built before 1901 are called “old law 

tenements.” (was, were) 

14. Our Fourth of July was notwhat it should_ (be, have been) 

15. Since I_an Indian before my trip to the Indian 

reservation, I enjoyed the novel experience, (never saw, have never seen, had never 
seen) 

16. Those who _ their lives during the World War 

should not be forgotten, (have sacrificed, sacrificed) 

Jf it_for the fire, the Normans wouldn’t have rushed 

•out of the castle, (hadn’t been, wasn’t, weren’t) 

18. After Silas_ his money and Eppie- as a 

substitute, his life changed completely, (had lost, lost) (had come, came, come) 

19. I invited him to come to my office so that I-convince him 

that his estimate was too high, (may, might) 

20. Schubert would have died in poverty-- for the 

London Symphony Orchestra, (had it not been, were it not) 

21. The Saxons disliked the Normans because the Normans- 


the Saxons, (conquered, had conquered) 


75 













PRACTICE TEST {Continued) 


22. After we_ball about five minutes, a policeman 

came along, (had played, were playing) 

23. If he_his sister, he would have been lost, (didn’t meet,, 

hadn’t met) 

24. If he_told me, I could have helped him. (had, would have) 

25. The tent looked as if it_kicked by a mule, (had been,. 

were) 


76 






GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


VERB COMPLETED — PRACTICE TEST 32 
Fill each blank with the correct or preferred word or expression: 

1. If Harold does not do his full share of the work, I _ be very 

much disappointed, (shall, will) 

2. The butcher said, “I _ probably have some turkeys next 

week.” (shall, will) 

3. If you_down on the job and don’t practice, your voice will 

not develop properly, (lay, lie) 

4. I studied the proposition while I was _ in bed. (laying, 

lying) 

5. He acts as if money _ the least worry in the world, (was, 

were) 

6. I wish I _ in Philadelphia, (was, were) 

7. If I _ you, I should go home now. (was, were) 

8. If he_older, he would work harder, (was, were) 

9. She acts as if she _ weary, (was, were) 

10. Probably this man whom every one was listening to as if he- 

an oracle had never found out there are such things as sock suspenders in the 
world, (was, were) 


11. Mr. Weller told Aunt Ellen that I 

77 


gone, (had, was) 













PRACTICE TEST {Continued) 


12. If it had not been for Portia, Shylock would-had his pound 

of flesh, (have, of) 

13. If I_shown the doll to the baby, she would have wanted 

it. (had, would have) 

14. When we_our lunch, I spied some berries, (had 

finished, were finished with) 

15. His mother asked where he had_his dinner, (ate, eaten) 

16. Yesterday when they_to see me, I was ill. (came, come) 

17. I could have_but thought it wiser to stay at home with 

mother, (gone, went) 

18. She thought Clifford might have _ tired of being quiet. 

(became, become) 

19. If Gareth had done as requested, he would probably never have_ 

Lynette again, (saw, seen) 

20. When we arrived, we were welcomed and_to our room. 

(showed, shown) 

21. Bill was the only one who had_across the lake, (swam, 

swum) 

22. When I was ready to write, I noticed that my pencil was__ 


(broke, broken) 


78 













GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


23. He_what I told him. (did, done) 

24. I couldn’t hand my paper in because it was_ (tore, torn) 

25. When the conductor_ around, Clifford gave him a bill. 

(came, come) 

26. I asked Harry why he was_in the grass instead of mowing 

the lawn, (laying, lying) 

27. When you go to the grocery store, I_be glad to go with 

you. (shall, will) 

28. I wonder whether the Careys have-to Denver, (gone, 

went) 


29. When we_to a creek, we all waded across it. (came, come) 

30. If Wilkins_been able to play, the score would have been 


different, (had, would have) 


79 












GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


Name_Class_Date_ 

Perfect Score 20 Right_Wrong_Score_Per Cent 

(Right — Wrong = Score) 


UNIT XV 

ADJECTIVES, ADVERBS, PREPOSITIONS, AND CONJUNCTIONS IN 
COMPLEX AND COMPOUND SENTENCES 

DIAGNOSTIC TEST 

Fill each blank with the correct or preferred word or expression: 

1. _Black Beauty was becoming tired, Tull changed horses. 

(because, being that) 

2. Critics today are different _ they were fifty years ago. 

(from what, than) 

3. He loved her _ a father loves his daughter, (as, like) 

4. _I am allowed only two minutes, I shall not tell another 

story, (as, being) 

5. If Paul Revere rode tonight, would his ride be any different- 

it was in 1775? (from what, than) 

6. No one will suspect you _ you talk too much, (unless, 

without) 


7. Hilda has trouble with her verbs 


all the rest of us have. 
















DIAGNOSTIC TEST ( Continued ) 


8. When I asked father about Milan, he said that he had never been-. 

(their, there) 

9. The Man Who Married a Dumb Wife is neither too long_ 

too short, (nor, or) 

10. The reason our team was beaten was_the Jefferson High 

boys were much heavier, (because, that) 

11. “The squirrel,” he said, “is unable to find acorns_the 

heavy blanket of snow.” (because of, due to) 

12. One boy is taller and _than the other, (more sturdier, 

sturdier) 

13. _you can do it if you try. (certainly, sure) 

14. I think a boy should know English and know it_ (good, 

well) 

15. _man was a detective, but none of us knew him. (this, 

this here) 

16. As one opens the door and walks_our public library, he sees: 

a spacious room filled with books, (in, into) 

17. I’ll bet somebody will take it_him. (from, off) 

18. Sara Crewe has a great deal of mystery, while The Poor Little Rich Girl 

- (has hardly any, hardly has none) 

82 













GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


19. The most exciting part of the story is_. 

(Rebecca’s trial as a witch, when Rebecca is tried as a witch) 

20. Whittier’s poetry is _ to understand than Whitman’s. 

(easier, more easier) 


83 




ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS IN COMPLEX AND COMPOUND 
SENTENCES — PRACTICE TEST 33 


Fill each blank with the correct or preferred word or expression: 

1. When he got_, he went in and asked for the manager. 

(their, there) 

2. I think that Jack is the_of the two boys, (taller, tallest) 

3. It is a well-known fact that ordinarily most of us speak_ 

fast and _ . (to, too) (careless, carelessly) 

4. The lecture, I think, was _ interesting, (real, very) 

5. Our pupils average as_in their studies as the students of 

Madison High School, (high, highly) 

6. I’ve struggled hard to do as _ in English as Evelyn and Ethel. 

(good, well) 

7. I could never play chess as _ as they, (good, well) 

8. They didn’t know who _ man was. (this, this here) 

9. I think that any one who buys - kind of pencils is foolish. 

(these, this) 

10. I haven’t _ one to leave my money to, and I have had my 

fill of adventure, (any, no) 


11. “I haven’t_had a chance,” whined Irene, (ever, never) 

12. Paris is larger than_city in France, (any, any other) 

84 















GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


13. My English teacher asked me which of the two books I liked_ 

(best, better) 

14. You can _ find out who Nancy Hanks was. (sure, surely) 

15. The first problem is_than the tenth, (harder, more harder) 


85 





PREPOSITIONS AND CONJUNCTIONS IN COMPLEX AND 
COMPOUND SENTENCES — PRACTICE TEST 34 

Fill each blank with the correct or preferred word or expression: 

1. __his creditors were so numerous and insistent, he decided 

to run away from them, (because, being) 

2. _the customer wished to buy only a bed, I took her to the 

third floor, (as, being that) 


3. _it was the train we wished to take, we got on. (as, being) 

4. He acted_crazy, (as if he were, like he was) 


5. I guess she thought I was a poet on the theory that nobody but a poet would 

come in and, looking _ he needed a full meal and a new suit of 

clothes, ask for a quarter’s worth of posies, (as if, like) 

6. I don’t speak _ Teddy does, (as, like) 

7. These shoes are different _ the ones I bought from you last 

year, (from, than) 

8. Silas’s character was much different in the end _ 

in the beginning, (from what it was, than) 

9. _ you walk carefully on this ice, you will surely fall, (unless, 

without) 

10. Put the numbers down just_we did yesterday, (as, like) 

86 


11. That man drives 


he owned the whole road, (as if, like) 













GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


12. There are four times as many in the car _ there are seats for. 

(as, than) 

13. The reason for the success of the magazine is _ it represents 

a principle, (because, that) 

14. - Tennyson’s suiting the sound to the sense the poem is 

enjoyed more if read aloud, (because of, due to) 

15. This is a club _ whose meetings a member of the faculty 

should be present, (at, to) 

16. After much arguing_who was to bat first we started to 

play, (about, of) 

17. _I had read only one of the books, I could not answer her 

question, (because, being that) 

18. The football score was quite different_we expected, (from 

what, than) 

19. The reason I can’t go to the basketball game is-my mother 

is sick, (because, that) 

20. I saw Commander Byrd go - the auditorium, (in, into) 


87 





























'V* 


> 
s 

* .) 
l J » *> 






GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


Name - Class_ Date____ 

Perfect Score 20 Wrong _ Score_Per Cent 


UNIT XVI 

SENTENCE SENSE 

DIAGNOSTIC TEST 

Indicate the number of complete sentences in each of the following by placing 
o, 1, 2, or 3 in the parenthesis: 

Examples 

( 2 ) 1. Do you know that Kansas City is one of the leading railroad centers 
in the country it is the headquarters also of an immense meat-packing industry 

(0)2. Hoping that you will visit us during either your Christmas or your 
spring vacation 

The 2 in the first parenthesis shows that number 1 is two sentences. The 0 in 
the second parenthesis indicates that number 2 is not a sentence. 

The Test 

( ) 1. Chauncey M. Depew led the ideal life for a politician a full invigor¬ 

ating life with not an empty minute 

( ) 2. Lake Placid is famous for its winter sports have you ever been there 

( ) 3. Because the manner in which Sheridan describes the smallest de¬ 

tails is very humorous which makes the play one of the most entertaining I have 
ever read 

( ) 4. Marion knew nothing of the world her every thought being to care 

for her invalid mother 

( ) 5. The worst fault in my writing is poor punctuation when I write a 

theme I usually leave out some commas or put in some extra ones 

( ) 6. Mr. Post decided to continue his book on aviation as a magazine 

the first number of the regular magazine appearing in October 1929 

( ) 7. In Prospect Park are many interesting things for example a me¬ 

nagerie greenhouses flower gardens large and small lakes tennis courts and hockey 
fields 








DIAGNOSTIC TEST (< Continued) 


( ) 8. Rows and rows of white crosses with red poppies growing between 

the crosses 

( ) 9- Since you moved to Forest Hills I feel lonely come over to see me on 

Thursday evening and I’ll show you some of my new stamps 

( ) io. The Woman s Home Companion is edited to make each home a 

happier more comfortable and more prosperous place to live in also to help its 

readers solve their dress problems bring their children up and keep in touch with 
the best thought of the day 

( ) ii. I should like some information about the history of Good House¬ 

keeping for example who the founder was and in what year it was first published 

( ) 12. Because Isaac believed that Ivanhoe had saved him from thieves 

and ruffians 

( ) 13. One day John Burroughs went hunting when he saw a deer he 

raised his gun to his shoulder but did not shoot 

( ) 14. Ancient mammals the bones of some of which were only recently 

discovered 

( ) 15. When Forest and Stream was first published who the present editor 

is and what the circulation of the magazine is 

( ) 16. Many times I am desolate and feel blue if when I am in this state I 

recite a stirring poem to myself it cheers me up and urges me on to fight the battle 
through and win 

( ) 17. One day while playing near the creek I saw an eel which I tried to 

catch 

( ) 18. Richard Halliburton explorer and adventurer in his cave on the 

island of Tobago where he lived for twenty-eight days in the manner of Robinson 
Crusoe 

( ) 19. We cannot bring back the past not an hour of it 

( ) 20. As a rule the picture on the cover is one that emphasizes the time 

of the year during the football season the picture generally relates to that sport 


90 


GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


SENTENCE SENSE — PRACTICE TEST 35 

Indicate the number of complete sentences in each of the following by placing 
•o, i, 2, or 3 in the parenthesis: 

( ) i. In the Delineator there are many stories also articles of interest to 

women readers 

( ) 2. The boys and girls yelling and whooping and the firecrackers ex¬ 

ploding all around us 

( ) 3 - I wish you had been here to go on the hike with us no doubt you 

are having a wonderful vacation on Schroon Lake 

( ) 4- The weather being pleasant today and everybody eager for some 

excitement 

( ) 5- This is a suitable book for anybody from sixteen to sixty the reason 

being there are characters of all ages in the book 

( ) 6. We also have clubs in our school some of them being the Rifle Club 

the Chess Club the Fencing Club and the Dramatic Society 

( ) 7- Though I did not feel unkindness toward any character as I some¬ 

times do when I complete a story 

( ) 8. Richard Halliburton who lived for a month as a convict in the 

famous prison camp on Devil’s Island 

( ) 9- Do you call that courage I call it fear 

( ) io. After lunch we constructed all sorts of things in the sand for example 

tunnels spirals and sand castles 

( ) ii. The author describes Porthenia Hawks as a stern and loud woman 

Porthenia believes in always having her say about whatever is going on at the 
moment 

( ) 12. “How Did You Die?” teaches one to be a man to accept the hard¬ 
ships that come one’s way not to cry aloud or whine or scold or complain 

( ) 13. Which he looked at for a full minute without winking an eyelash 

( ) 14. Have you read Captains Courageous it is one of Kipling’s best stories 

( ) 15. No use worrying or wishing that you could bring back the past 

91 


PRACTICE TEST ( Continued ) 


( ) 16. The President wants to put a stop to bootlegging by enforcing the 

Eighteenth Amendment which prohibits the manufacture transportation and sale 
of intoxicating liquors 

( ) 17. Black with white feet a white nose and a white spot on his left side 

( ) 18. Guido Mayr who will for the second time play Judas in the Passion 

Play at Oberammergau 

( ) 19. When Spain had found the riches in America she wanted to trans¬ 

port them to her own country this Spain tried to accomplish by sending merchant 
ships across to carry the riches back 

( ) 20. The main character of The Secret of the Clan is Laura although I 

haven’t completed the book I think her last name is not mentioned 


92 


Name _ 

Perfect Score ioo 


GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


1 


Class 


Date 


Wrong-Score_Per Cent 


UNIT I 

RECOGNITION OF THE PARTS OF SPEECH 

MASTERY TEST 

Using the following abbreviations, tell what part of speech each word is. Write 
the abbreviation above the word. 

n. — noun v. — verb 

pro. — pronoun prep. — preposition 

adj. — adjective conj. — conjunction 

adv. — adverb int. — interjection 

His mother told him a story that her own mother had told her when 


she herself was younger than little Ernest; a story, not of things long 
past, but of what was in the future; a story so very old that the Indians, 
who formerly inhabited this valley, had heard it from their forefathers, to 
whom, as they affirmed, it had been murmured by the mountain streams, 
and whispered by the wind among the trees. The purport was that at 
some future day a child should be born hereabouts who would become the 
greatest and noblest personage of his time. 


Copyright, 1931, by J C. Tressler 












GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


3 


Name - Class _ Date_ 

Perfect Score 25 Wrong_Score _ Per Cent 


UNIT II 

PARTS OF THE SIMPLE SENTENCE 


MASTERY TEST 


Indicate the use in the sentence of each italicized word by writing above it one 
of these abbreviations: 


s.s. — simple subject 
v. — verb 

p.a. — predicate adjective 
p.n. — predicate nominative 
o.v. — object of verb 


o.p. — object of preposition 
i.o. — indirect object 
ap. — appositive 
n.a. — nominative of address 


1. They were proud people, and at first refused his offer. 

2. Narcissi will thrive in any ordinary garden soil, but prefer a deep, 
rather moist loam. 


3. Across a sun-scorched street they entered another building. 

4. Ralph is a member of Arista, the foremost honor society of the 
school, and of the French Club. 

5. Did the owner of the house show you the room? 

6. Marion, there is your coat. 

7. Next morning we gladly abandoned the cars and jogged off on 
horseback under the guidance of our leader, Bill Sullivan. 


Copyright, 1931, by J. C. Tressler 








8. In nearly every collection of living bears the polar bear is the 


most showy and attractive. 

9. The coyote is a personal acquaintance of nearly every transcontinental 
traveler. 


4 


GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


5 


Name-Class _ Date_ 

Perfect Score io Wrong _ Score_Per Cent 


UNIT III 

PUNCTUATION OF SIMPLE SENTENCES 

MASTERY TEST 

Punctuate the following sentences. Overpunctuation is just as bad as under¬ 
punctuation. Therefore if you either omit a needed punctuation mark or insert a 
mark that is not needed, the sentence is wrong. 

1. The largest colleges in New York City are Hunter College Columbia 
University Fordham University New York University and the College of the City 
of New York 

2. The father wishes Ellen his daughter to marry the craven 

3. Is Lynette a haughty beautiful girl 

4. At work on the other hand one associates with all kinds of people educated 
and uneducated 

5. Well what do you want Mrs Sterling 

6. The Saturday Evening Post is published by the Curtis Publishing Co 
Independence Square Philadelphia Pennsylvania 

7. In Carlisle not Gettysburg we stopped for the night 

8. On May 4 1931 Mr Harrison wrote to T S Denison & Co 623 South Wabash 
Street Chicago Illinois 

Copyright, 1931, by J. C. Tressler 








9. Douglas Fairbanks the Petruchio of the play does the best acting of his 
life 

io. Asa study in thrift integrity and perseverance the life of Henry Morgenthau 
the financier and diplomat is almost without an equal 


6 


GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


7 


IName- - Class _ Date _ 

Per fect Score io Wrong_Score_Per Cent_ 

UNIT IV 

CAPITALIZATION 

MASTERY TEST 

Capitalize the following sentences. If you omit a needed capital or insert a 
capital that is not needed, the sentence is wrong. 

1. After attending the john dewey junior high school for two years i entered a 
high school in san francisco. 

2. On the fourth of july last summer i read finnemore’s story of robin hood and 
his merry men. 

3. In high school captain tracy excelled in french, algebra, geometry, and 
english. 

4. Reports of a riot in fusan, korea, in which striking workmen invaded the 
factory of the chosaw spinning company, wrecking the machinery, have been re¬ 
ceived by rengo news agency. 

5. When the hippodrome is torn down, mr. french, builder of tudor city, 
plans to construct an eighty-three-story office building on the site. 

6. Upon flying into a severe storm amelia earhart, noted aviatrix, abandoned 

her trip by plane to the east. 


Copyright, 1931, by J. C. Tressler 








7. Secretary of labor james j. davis has established a record for length of 
tenure in the department of labor by serving under president harding, president 
coolidge, and president hoover. 

8. For many years louis marshall, prominent new york city lawyer and jewish 
leader, was chairman of the board of trustees of the new york state college of 
forestry at Syracuse university. 

9. On monday senator reed, a republican leader, stated that congress would 
act promptly on the president’s recommendations. 

10. Last winter harold was a student in a Chicago high school. 


8 


GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


9 


Name - Class _ Date _ 

Perfect Score 20 Wrong _ .Score _ PerCent 


UNIT V 

PLURAL AND POSSESSIVE 

MASTERY TEST 

Complete each sentence by filling the blanks with the correct forms of the 
words in parenthesis: 

1. After listening to their English _ explanation the pupils 

criticized_compositions, (teacher, each other) 

2. A ten_wait is preferable to a three_delay. 

(minute, day) 

3. Three_of Harvard University are working in_ 

store, (alumnus, Percy Straus) 

4. The _ hockey team has been more successful than the 


- (girl, boy) 

5. Two _ are standing in front of - house. 

(donkey, Mr. Jones) 

6. John David sells _ and - clothing, (boy, 


man) 

7- My 


rifle brought down the two wild 


(brother-in-law, turkey) 


Copyright, 1931, by J. C. Tressler 






















home is an 


ride from Atlanta. 


(Miss Thompson, hour) 

9. Many _ of flowers grow in the 

(species, attorney) 

10. The_library includes_ 

(policeman, Dickens) 


garden. 


David Copperfield. 


10 








GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 11 

Name---Grade _ Date _ 

Perfect Score 25 Right - Wrong _ Score_Per Cent _ 

(Right — Wrong = Score) 


UNIT VI 

CORRECT PRONOUNS IN SIMPLE SENTENCES 

MASTERY TEST 

Insert in each blank the correct or preferred word or expression: 

1. Joe and _ are going to the circus. (I, me) 

2. My sister took my friend and _ for a walk through the park. 

(I, me) 

3. They invited Mary and _ to tea. (I, me) 

4. _and her cousin Celia are inseparable, (her, she) 

5. I expect to see her mother and _ next Thursday, (her, she) 

6. The people were afraid of _ wanting a high place in the 

government, (him, his) 

7. You and _ were picked to go on duty. (I, me) 

g. _came to New York, (him and his parents, 

his parents and he) 

9. Where were you and _ ? (h e > him) 

10. Everybody has _ coat on. (his, their) 


Copyright, 1931, by J. C. Tressler 



















ii. I have broken several pieces and would like to match 


(it, 

them) 

12. Every one received _ box of candy at ten o’clock, (his, 

their) 

13. Never judge a person entirely by_appearance, (his, their) 

14. They both are working hard and progressing, each in _ own 

line, (his, their) 

15. This story will entertain every reader and arouse _ interest 

in the lore of the woods, (his, their) 

16. Has everybody learned_part? (his, their) 

17. Each of Mr. Johnson’s sons is a leader in _ own field, (his, 

their) 

18. The average father tries to give _ children as much educa¬ 

tion as possible, (his, their) 

19. My cook and _ set to work to put the rooms in order. 

(I, myself) 

20. Last Saturday a few friends and_went to Culver Lake to 

fish. (I, myself) 

21. - tells about the best modern authors, (in the 

Scholastic it, the Scholastic) 


12 













22. _one play in the November issue of the Lantern, (there is, 

they have) 

23. Neither of them has completed _ homework, (his, their) 

24. We don’t want to lose a good customer like_ (you, 

yourself) 

25. The best swimmers are Marion and_ (her, she) 


13 







GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


15 


Name-Class_Date_ 

Perfect Score 50 Right_Wrong_Score_Per Cent_ 

(Right — Wrong = Score) 

UNIT VII 

CORRECT VERBS IN SIMPLE SENTENCES 

MASTERY TEST 

Fill each blank with the correct or preferred word or expression: 

1. There_the dishes still to be done, (was, were) 

2. Longfellow’s choice of words_his poems easy to under¬ 

stand. (make, makes) 

3. Enforcing the laws_very difficult, (are, is) 

4. The incidents in The Americanization of Edward Bok -very 

interesting, (are, is) 

5. His hands outstretched _ the goal line, (touch, touches) 

6. In these articles the work of the army at the various United States Army 

posts_described, (are, is) 

7. In the last issue of Popular Mechanics there---some repro¬ 

ductions in color, (was, were) 

8. Copper and brass_warmth and life to the interior of a home. 

(give, gives) 


Copyright, 1931, by J. C. Tressler 

















9- The amusement and knowledge obtained by reading the magazine 

_well worth the cost, (are, is) 

io. There_a ways a number waiting in line for their lunches. 

(are, is) 


n. That_sound right, (doesn’t, don’t) 

12. On his feet_a pair of moccasins, (was, were) 


13. Nearly every brook and creek _ dried up. (was, were) 

14. Both the door and the window_green shades, (has, have) 

15. Thursday afternoon and evening _ spent in searching for the 

necklace, (was, were) 

16. Recently there _ appeared in the Saturday Evening Post 

three articles on tennis by Helen Wills Moody, (has, have) 

17. The poor people at this time _ defenseless, (was, were) 

18. There _ usually several special articles in the Sunday 

Times, (are, is) 

19. During my last week at the resort there really _ some 

extraordinary happenings, (was, were) 

20. The congestion on the roads near the large cities_long 

delays, (cause, causes) 

21. In the little churchyard, side by side, _ two graves marked 


by iron crosses, (are, is) 


16 














22. The influence of Latin and Greek 


been great, (has, have) 


23. The life of animals-guided by instinct, (are, is) 

24. Since 1898 there-been five different types of government 


in the Philippine Islands, (has, have) 

25. The imaginary pictures created by the clear descriptions_ 

color to the story, (lend, lends) 

26. I should have liked - her. (to see, to have seen) 

27. Silas Marner - a good book, (is, was) 

28. Never before-such an audience, (has he had, will 

he have had) 


29. Today he-almost all the time, (has laughed, laughed) 

30. This plan-during Jefferson’s administration, (has failed, 

failed) 


31. Just then my uncle_along, (came, come) 

32. He_her the money, (gave, give) 

33. On the platform last Thursday I _ very nervous, (have 

been, was) 


34. I_be glad to see you tomorrow afternoon, (shall, will) 

35. We _ probably stay in Geneva a week, (shall, will) 

36. Mother _ down at three o’clock, (lay, laid) 


37. London, the great metropolis, - _ 

17 


asleep, (lays, lies) 


















38. The roadbed of the New York Central Railroad 


along 


the east bank of the Hudson River, (lays, lies) 

39. I like to_on the front seat, (set, sit) 

40. The lamb was_down, (laying, lying) 

41. We_home last night at ten o’clock, (came, come) 

42. He_four glasses of water, (drank, drunk) 

43. After a while he_accustomed to the blackness of the cave. 

(became, become) 

44. He has__ _rapidly in his profession, (risen, rose) 

45. I_my chance, (saw, seen) 

46. Has George_to you about binding the classbook? (spoke, 

spoken) 

47. Nothing was_ (broke, broken) 

48. - -going there today. (I ain’t, I’m not) 

49. _I hand in my work after school? (can, may) 

50. I must-gone to the wrong place, (have, of) 


18 















GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


19 


N ame--Class_Date_ 

Perfect Score 33 Right_Wrong_Score_Per Cent_ 

(Right — Wrong = Score) 

UNIT VIII 

CORRECT ADJECTIVES, ADVERBS, AND PREPOSITIONS IN 
SIMPLE SENTENCES 

MASTERY TEST 

Fill each blank with the correct or preferred word or expression: 


1. What kind of_picture is it? (a talking, talking) 

2. Prince John held_archery contest, (a, an) 

3. Can you apply_rule? (this, this here) 


4. _ books are mine, (these, these here) 

5. Why do you associate with_kind of people? (that, those) 

6. Do you like _ kind of apples? - (these, this) 

7. You didn’t do _ to prevent the accident, (anything, 

nothing) 

8. The verb to be can’t have - object, (an, no) 

9. I don’t see _ difference between my answer and yours. 


(any, no) 

10. I didn’t see _ interesting, (anything, nothing) 

JJ e _ money with him. (ain’t got no, hasn’t any) 


Copyright, 1931, by J. C. Tressler 




















12. He didn’t bother to ring 


bell, (no, the) 


13. I haven’t_homework for Monday, (any, no) 

14. He didn’t say_ (anything, nothing) 


15. The nurse passed the night_ hardly any sleep, (with, 

without) 

16. In Paris they were_ (happier, more happier) 

17. Hawthorne’s style of writing is _ (unique, very unique) 

18. Which is the _ of the two pencils? (best, better) 

19. I_should like to visit your town, (sure, surely) 

20. Miss Ward looked_ (beautiful, beautifully) 

21. You will_secure enough money, (easily, easy) 

22. The thieves treated Oliver_ (cruel, cruelly) 

23. They lived _ together, (happily, happy) 

24. I heard some_good news this afternoon, (real, very) 

25. The first quarter of the game was very_. (good, well) 


26. I’m_sorry, (awful, very) 

27. I worked _ for three months, (steadily, steady) 

28. She sat _ me at church, (behind, in back of) 


29. Mr. Gordon met us at the door and invited us_his big, 

comfortable living room, (in, into) 


20 




















30. I have to copy the homework assignment 


Nellie. 


(from, off) 

31. The left-overs were divided_the four girls, (among, be¬ 

tween) 

32. The knight, disobeying King Arthur, did not throw the sword_ 

the lake, (in, into) 


33 - 


overproduction a number of factories are closed, (because 


of, due to) 




21 















GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


23 


Name-Class_Date_ 

Perfect Score 25 Wrong_Score_Per Cent 


UNIT IX 

PARTICIPLES, GERUNDS, AND INFINITIVES 

MASTERY TEST 

In these sentences draw one line under each participle, two lines under each 

gerund, and a dotted line (.) under each infinitive. Underline the whole 

participle, gerund, or infinitive, whether it is made up of one, two, or three words. 

1. Having reached the age of twenty-five, he set out for Canada with the 
determination to make his own way in the world. 

2. I saw him after falling into the mud get up and brush his clothes. 

3. My great ambition after being graduated from high school is to do comic 
drawings. 

4. John’s teacher made him complete his work before letting him go home. 

5. A moose had wandered above timberline, wading through deep snow, 
digging big holes to find the willows and dwarf birch underneath and feed upon 
them. 

6. Winter now descended upon us, compelling us to remain in Quebec till 
spring. 

7. During the past year people living in Detroit have been asked to con¬ 
tribute to a number of worthy causes. 

8. We were fortunate in securing the finest specimens ever brought out for 
any museum. 

9. After wading across the river we all sat down to decide on a definite plan 
of action. 

10. After taking the attendance the teacher asked each boy to write the names 
of his five favorite heroes. 

11. Having health and a keen mind, he ought to be one of the happiest men in 
the world. 


Copyright, 1931, by J. C. Tressler 










. 




' 




. ’< ;ir •: 












Name 


GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


Date_ 

Per Cent 


25 


Perfect Score 20 


Wrong, 


-Class_ 

— Score_ 


UNIT X 

ADJECTIVE CLAUSES, ADVERB CLAUSES, AND NOUN CLAUSES 

MASTERY TEST 

In these sentences draw one line under each adjective clause, two lines under 

each adverb clause, and a dotted line (.) under each noun clause. Underline 

every word which belongs to the clause and no word which is part of another 
clause. 

1. Every vessel that passes up and down the Potomac tolls its bell as it glides 
past Mount Vernon. 

2. While ten hours is usually sufficient for the average student to fly safely 
alone, this statement by no means implies that he is a skilled pilot ready for com¬ 
mercial work. 

3. When it is necessary to plant food stores at intervals along the trail, it is 
the dog that is called upon to do the work. 

4. “After all we are much the same the world over,” remarked a ragged old 
woman who looked a thousand years old. 

5. When I find 117 Worth Street, shall I give the report to whoever is in the 
office ? 

6. When I saw the outside of A Book of Indian Tales , I fancied it must be for 
younger children. 

7. The character of no man is fixed until it has been tried by that of the 
woman he loves. 

8. Murdo listened very attentively as though I were telling him some in¬ 
teresting story, but I could see that he did not believe me. 

9. Let us be of good cheer, however, remembering that the misfortunes 
hardest to bear are those which never come. 

10. Three years ago, when in southern California, on seeing the scale on which 
the rabbit industry was operated, Raymond Schlecht decided to specialize in this 
kind of business. 


Copyright, 1931, by J. C. Tressler. 












GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


27 


Name-Class_Date _ 

Perfect Score 20 Wrong _ Score _ Per Cent 


UNIT XI 

KINDS OF SENTENCES 

MASTERY TEST 

Classify the following sentences by writing in each parenthesis S for simple 
sentence, Cd for compound sentence, Cx for complex sentence, Cd-cx for compound- 
complex sentence, and Cx-cx for complex-complex sentence: 

( ) 1. In Arabia oranges and figs are delicious and are not expensive. 

( ) 2. In Sparta no child was permitted to live unless he was healthy; 

both boys and girls were put through a rigorous physical and moral discipline. 

( ) 3. How accurate was their thinking as they faced these problems? 

( ) 4. Our education is more than what we learn from books; it is the 

sum total of our experience in understanding ourselves and adjusting ourselves to 
the world in which we li ve. 

( ) 5. Humility had given way to uncontrollable fear, and he had 

become a fleeing wild beast. 

( ) 6. Mr. Holland and I dismissed the taxi and were admitted with 

scarcely a minute’s delay. 

( ) 7. Whom do you consider the best educated man you know? 

( ) 8. The autumnal afternoon was creeping steadily on towards 

night; the sun after the morning’s rain was now glinting down on the slate roofs 
of the suburb. 

( ) 9. Like all Saturday dinners in his household, this had been a 

hugger-mugger dinner — one of vehement relays. 

( ) 10. Mr. Thripp’s kitchen table was at this moment disordered with 

the remains of a meal straggling over a tablecloth that had now gallantly completed 
its full week’s service. 

( ) 11. I did not learn to read until I was compelled to give up for a 

half year the half-hundred forms of vigorous outdoor exercise which had been my 
only real delight. 

( ) 12. Father and mother stared at me a moment and then smiled. 

( ) 13. Where did you buy the coat and how much did you pay for it? 


Copyright, 1931, by J. C. Tressler 








( ) 14. When father understood what I wanted to do, he gave his 

consent. 

( ) 15. School is out today, and we have three months of vacation. 

( ) 16. In the once empty harbor five hundred vessels swung aban¬ 

doned at their cables or rotted on the mud flats. 

( ) 17. As if she had been forced into a line of conduct she deprecated 

and despised, Tilda flung her wet teacloth over a chair. 

( ) 18. Mr. Thripp began to whistle under his breath as he turned on 

the hot-water tap again. 

( ) 19. There are scarcely any railways in Syria; and because roads 

are few and poor, much of the traveling is done on foot. 

( ) 20. Mr. Gill shivered as the north wind whipped about the after¬ 

deck and whined above us in the ship’s wireless. 


28 


GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


29 


Name-Class _ Date_ 

Perfect Score 25 Wrong_Score _ Per Cent 


UNIT XII 

PUNCTUATION OF COMPLEX AND COMPOUND SENTENCES 

MASTERY TEST 

Punctuate the following sentences. Overpunctuation is just as bad as under¬ 
punctuation. Therefore a sentence is wrong if an unnecessary or wrong mark is 
inserted or a needed mark is omitted. Do not divide one good sentence into two 
sentences. 

1. If the animal charges Osa must be quick and accurate with her gun 
otherwise the rest of the world will not see the picture 

2. When I told Jack about the strange noise I had heard he said You must 
have been dreaming 

3. I should like to know when this magazine was started 

4. Marjorie and I are going to take a long hike on Saturday February 16 and 
if you haven’t already made plans for that day we hope you will join us 

5. What’s this my father said Aren’t the chops cooked 

6. Mr Baker Jerry said went along with me 

7. Little John has a heavy quarter-staff which he is flourishing about 

8. Many of the illustrations are in black and white others are colored 

9. Oh exclaimed her sister in disgust you always agree with that old fossil 

10. These Minnesota Indians live in the worst shacks imaginable in fact a 
chicken house would be better 

11. As the moon shines on her one notices her beautiful black eyes her white 
teeth and the dimples in her chin 

12. New public works would bring little relief indeed most of the unemployed 
are not trained workers 

13. We are all ambitious said the speaker we all aspire to be something more 
than we are 

14. In 1919 Nebraska the thirty-sixth state ratified the prohibition amend¬ 
ment which became effective one year later 

15. The airplane has been responsible for many deaths therefore flying is not a 
safe sport 


Copyright, 1931, by J. C. Tressler 








16. Born in Norway in 1872 he was educated at the University of Christiania 
where he studied medicine for two years 

17. A girl who is looking for w T ork should know how to write a good letter and 
to say exactly what she means 

18. In the Riverview Cemetery stands a monument to General George 
McClellan who was a general in the Civil War 

19. A job that is worth doing at all is worth doing well 

20. The Man from Maine is the biography of Mr Curtis who is the owner of the 
Saturday Evening Post 

21. Hammer on the door said Mrs Morrison until some one opens it 

22. Who said Life is made up of marble and mud 

23. Sin has many tools says Holmes but a lie is a handle that fits them all 

24. How does a snail walk asked our biology teacher when it has but one foot 
and does not hop 

25. If you would have your business done go says Franklin if not send 


30 


GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


Name _ 

Perfect Score 25 Right 


31 


--Class_Date_ 

Wrong-Score-Per Cent_ 

(Right — Wrong = Score) 

UNIT XIII 

PRONOUNS IN COMPLEX AND COMPOUND SENTENCES 

MASTERY TEST 

Fill each blank with the correct or preferred word or expression: 

1. George had three sisters younger than_ (he, him) 

2. I am much taller than_ (her, she) 


3. It was - who gave away the secret, (them, they) 

4. - do you think he is? (who, whom) 


5. The gentleman on the right is Bernard M. Cullen,_the 

regulars say is best qualified for the position, (who, whom) 

6. Silas, a poor weaver,_had at one time been betrayed by his 

friend, lost his faith in God and man. (who, whom) 

7. The girl_I met yesterday ignored me today, (who, whom) 

8. Macbeth killed any one_he thought suspected him. (who, 

whom) 

9. Irving and Shakespeare are two authors-I enjoy reading. 

(who, whom) 


Copyright, 1931, by J. C. Tressler 


















io. Sell the skates to 


offers most for them, (whoever, whom¬ 


ever) 

11. She thought she knew more than_ (he, him) 

12. Every one was glad that it was not_ (he, him, they, them) 

13. Every one looks cold,_? (don’t they, doesn’t he) 

14. Any pupil who expects to enter the business world after_ 

will profit by working during vacation, (he graduates, they graduate, he or she 
graduates) 

15. If one does not succeed at first,_become discouraged, (do 

not, he should not, they should not, one should not) 

16. A snob is a person who thinks_better than other people. 

(he is, they are) 

17. Did you, like a man, tackle the trouble that came your way, or did you 

sneak away from_as a coward would ? (it, them) 

18. Every one can think of some mean thing which _ done. 

(he has, they have) 

19. Do you know-the author of Moby Dick is? (who, whom) 

20. Has any one else a picture-would like to show the class ? 

(he, they) 

21. One reason I was willing that he should come in was that he was an Amherst 

College man, like my partner and_ (me, myself) 


32 














22. This is a continued account of the furnishing of a home, and_ 

_describes a different room, (in each issue it, each issue) 

23. Miss Attilia has invited the Spanish Club to her home to celebrate Christ¬ 
mas as_in Spain, (the day is observed, they do) 

24. Sometimes one hears a girl’s screech which reminds_of a 

hinge that needs oiling, (me, him, one, them) 

25. If any one tries such puerile vandalism in the new building,_ 

should be severely punished, (he, they) 


33 








GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


35 


Name - Class _ Date_ 

Perfect Score 25 Right_Wrong _ Score_ Per Cent_ 

(Right — Wrong = Score) 

UNIT XIV 

VERBS IN COMPLEX AND COMPOUND SENTENCES 

MASTERY TEST 

Fill each blank with the correct or preferred word or expression: 

1. Two books I enjoyed reading _ _ Treasure Island and Ivanhoe. 

(are, is) 

2. There_not many magazines that are written entirely for 

boys, (are, is) 


3. I thought you_putting it down wrong, (was, were) 

4. She__eat very much, does she? (doesn’t, don’t) 


5. Three girls whom I had met before_there, (was, were) 

6. It is not I that_making the choice, (am, is) 


7. Cooke’s choice of words, I think, _ very good, (are, is) 

8. The two works read in high school which - helped me in 


thinking about the problems of life are Silas Marner and The Ancient Mariner. 
(has, have) 

9. In the summer the grass and trees-look as green as they do 

in spring, (doesn’t, don’t) 


Copyright, 1931, by J. C. Tressler 

















io. Later Mrs. Ritchie decided that she 


adopt the boy. (will, 


would) 

n. Charmaine was forbidden to go out because she_out late 

the previous evening, (had been, was) 

12. The soldiers knew that one of the officers_the mistake. 

(had made, made) 

13. After the ball_to the twenty-yard line, Chadwick picked 

it up. (had rolled, rolled) 

14. As the revolution progressed, he_disgusted at the methods 

employed, (became, become) 

15. After Washington_the independence of the United States, 

he was elected president, (wins, won, had won) 

16. When De Farge _ in again, Madame De Farge coughed. 

(came, come) 

17. Saturn was compelled to bring forth the children whom he_. 

(had swallowed, swallowed) 

18. Macbeth plots the murder of Banquo in order that his reign_ 

be longer and safer, (may, might) 

19. I should appreciate it greatly if you_send me the informa¬ 

tion as promptly as possible, (will, would) 


36 












20. The grass was so green that I wanted to 


on it all day. 


(lay, lie) 

21. John was-on the couch when I got home, (laying, lying) 

22. Shakespeare makes one wish The Comedy of Errors _longer. 

(was, were) 

23. If I_older, I should be going to work, (was, were) 

24. Gawain knew that he shouldn’t_given the diamond to any 

one except Lancelot, (have, of) 

25. I thought my cousin had stumbled and- (fallen, fell) 


37 











GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


39 


Name-Class_Date_ 

Perfect Score 20 Right_Wrong_Score_Per Cent_ 

(Right — Wrong = Score) 

UNIT XV 

ADJECTIVES, ADVERBS, PREPOSITIONS, AND CONJUNCTIONS 
IN COMPLEX AND COMPOUND SENTENCES 

MASTERY TEST 

Fill each blank with the correct or preferred word or expression: 

1. _it was time for dinner, my mother asked me to call my 

brother, (being, because) 

2. Injun Joe didn’t know that Tom was- (their, there) 

3. George Eliot didn’t write_Homer did. (as, like) 

4. Hudson’s Far Away and Long Ago is different-any other 

biography I have ever read, (from, than) 

5. _you are such a good customer, I’ll see what I can do for 

you. (because, being that) 

6. Twenty-five years ago country life was different-it is now. 

(from what, than) 

7. I should hate to whine-he does, (as, like) 

8. He said he would try_do better, (and, to) 

9. I cannot complete the work today-Harry helps, (unless, 

without) 

Copyright, 1931, by J. C. Tressler 


















io. Randolph does not agree with his father 


declines his offer. 


(and, but) 

n. My first reason for liking swimming is_I enjoy the water. 

(because, that) 

12. I think that_the irregular verbs French is difficult, (be¬ 

cause of, due to) 

13. Orlando and Oliver wrestle to decide which of them is the_ 

powerful, (more, most) 

14. If examinations were not given, this sort of pupil would pass through school 

too_and would learn nothing, (easily, easy) 

15. I do not like a fox terrier as_as I like a police dog. (good, 

well) 

16. Is_book the one you recommended? (this, this here) 

17. When the two men arrived_the glacier, they both started 

to climb, (at, to) 

18. The turning point in the story is_. 

(the kidnaping of Buck, when Buck is kidnaped) 

19. The book I took from the library_hardly worth reading. 

(is, isn’t) 

20. New York City is larger than-city in the United States. 

(any, any other) 


40 













GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


41 


Name_ 

Perfect Score 20 


Class 


Date 


Wrong - Score - Per Cent 


UNIT XVI 

SENTENCE SENSE 

MASTERY TEST 

Indicate the number of complete sentences in each of the following by placing 
o, 1, 2, or 3 in the parenthesis: 

( ) 1. The pots are usually made of plumbago and German clay each pot 

being used only two or three times 

( ) 2. On all sides cannons belching forth their messages of death and 

destruction 

( ) 3. Did you see They Had to See Paris it was Will Rogers’s first talking 

picture 

( ) 4- J u ^g e Pyncheon was a successful business man of his time one who 

got anything he wanted 

( ) 5 - Different people have different tastes what’s sauce for the goose is 

poison to the gander 

( ) 6. The purpose of Forest and Stream is to promote an interest in out¬ 

door life and natural objects to give its readers an understanding of things which 
are not seen in everyday city life 

( ) 7. You certainly are lucky up there in the country as you can go 

swimming when you are hot down here we have to pay to swim in a pool or ride 
miles in a crowded trolley car to get down to the beach 

( ) 8. Eppie taking Silas by the hand and leading him away from the city 

of destruction 

( ) 9. The National Geographic appeals to all classes the ignorant because 

it helps them to gain knowledge the intelligent because they can appreciate the 
material in the magazine 

( ) 10. Mr Gooley wept a few weak tears old Archibald Hammil the village 

hardware merchant had sold him the first knife he had ever owned 

( ) 11. How your school is governed what kind of football team you have 

and how many clubs there are in the school 


Copyright, 1931, by J. C. Tressler, 








( ) 12. Imagine yourself in the hills of old Scotland with the fine flocks of 

Scotch sheep watched over by the faithful shepherds and dogs this is the setting of 
Bob Son of Battle 

( ) 13. I saw the lofty spires of Oxford the cricket field the shaven lawns 

and the peaceful river 

( ) 14. Men yelling and swords shocking on swords and shields 

( ) 15. I enjoyed Twelfth Night more than Othello the reason being that 

Twelfth Night is a comedy 

( ) 16. One day when my mother had gone out to spend the afternoon 

with a neighbor 

( ) 17. The collection of debate material is only the first part of the task of 

preparation the next step is the organization and use of this material so as to enable 
us to achieve the highest possible effectiveness 

( ) 18. People who are intelligent honest and industrious and have common 

sense and initiative 

( ) 19. Alois Lang a woodcarver of the village 

Passion Play is given every ten years 

( ) 20. The friend wishing to have some fun told 

some salt on the birds’ tails trying it Hudson failed and for 
learned to watch out for practical jokers 


in Bavaria where the 

young Hudson to put 
the first time in his life 


42 


Name_ 

Perfect Score ioo 


GRAMMAR MINIMUM ESSENTIALS 


43 


-Class-Date_ 

Score-Per Cent. 


FINAL EXAMINATION OR ACCOMPLISHMENT TEST 

In each parenthesis cross out the incorrect word or expression. On these thirty- 
sentences you will receive credit for the number right minus the number wrong. 

1. Priscilla looked (beautiful, beautifully) in her red taffeta dress. 

2. The quality of the material in the coat and the suit (are, is) satisfactory. 

3. Marion with two of her friends (are, is) flying to Chicago. 

4. The National Geographic has many pictures which (help, helps) the readers 
to get acquainted with the world. 

5. Harold, Henry, and (I, myself) are planning to enter the University of 
California. 

6. I remembered that I (had lent, lent) my knife to Harry. 

7. Father had (laid, lain) on the grass for an hour. 

8. He is an (alumna, alumnus) of the University of Virginia. 

9. Ever since I entered high school, I (have wished, wished) to tell you about 
our school. 

10. Neither Markham nor Lindsay (are, is) considered our greatest American 
poet. 

11. The secretary and (the treasurer, treasurer) was absent from the weekly 
meeting. 

12. I was delighted to hear of (you, your) winning a state scholarship. 

13. I intended (to see, to have seen) the play before it closed. 

14. Los Angeles is larger than (any, any other) city in California. 

15. Neither of the boys (was, were) able to run a hundred yards in eleven 
seconds. 

16. Mr. Jameson has two secretaries this winter, Marjorie Bowman and (I, me). 

17. Harold cared for the garden as if each flower (was, were) a friend of his. 

18. Give the prize to (whoever, whomever) has the highest score at eleven 
o’clock. 

19. Do you like (that, those) kind of games? 

20. A street scene in Bagdad is different (from, than) one in New York. 

21. At the meeting criticism was directed at the engineer of the company, 
(who, whom) the residents complain has taken no action whatever. 


Copyright, 1931, by J. C. Tressler 







22. The Capitol, which we visited first in Washington, (is, was) a large white 
building with a dome on the top. 

23. The new requirements for high school graduation (are, is) better than the 
old. 

24. The Senate is an important division of the government, for its powers 
are equal to (that, those) of the House of Representatives. 

25. He has been (laying, lying) in the sand all afternoon. 

26. He has learned to pronounce his words (correct, correctly). 

27. Robert Corson is the candidate (who, whom) we think will be elected. 

28. That the cost of some raw materials used in the manufacture of automobiles 
(has, have) advanced is not denied. 

29. Sydney Carton’s character was different (from, than) that of Charles 
Darnay. 

30. At the speaker’s jokes the pupils laughed (hearty, heartily). 

Tell the part of speech of each italicized word by writing the abbreviation above 
the word -— noun (n.); pronoun (pro.); adjective (adj.); adverb (adv.); verb (v.); 
preposition (prep.); conjunction (conj.); interjection (int.). 

31. 32, 33, 34. The benefits which we have enjoyed during the year prove that 
our new city government is an efficient one. 

35, 3b> 37 , 38. What we can each do is to hold the vision of the way things ought 
to be and press forward toward that goal. 

Draw one line under each subject word, two lines under each predicate verb, 
and a dotted line under each object of a verb. Place a check mark (V) above each 
predicate nominative. 


39, 40, 41, 42, 43. In a richly furnished office on the fourteenth floor was a 
gray-haired little man, to whom my father introduced me. 

44, 45, 46. Young man, are you the owner of that dilapidated ancient car 
parked on the wrong side of the street? 

Insert in the blank spaces the verb forms named: 


47. The sled 


. to pieces, (past perfect passive of break ) 
44 



4§. Marjorie-down by train, (past of come) 

49. Mother-down to rest, (present perfect of lie) 

50. I wish I-in Honolulu, (past subjunctive of be) 


Write the possessive singular of — 

Si- it- 

Write the possessive plural of — 

52. monkey_ 

53. woman_ 

54. son-in-law_ 

Classify each group of words by writing in the parenthesis S' for simple sentence, 
Cx for complex sentence, Cd for compound sentence, and / for incomplete sentence: 

( ) 55. Buck was an oxen who used his head to break pumpkins if his 

teeth failed 

( ) 56. Marion and Mildred stopped for a minute under the gently 

dripping trees and took off their knitted caps and shook them dry 

( ) 57. The reason for this interest being that any nation that is 

struggling for independence arouses the sympathy of the United States 
( ) 58. He never bluffs and he dislikes bluffers 

( ) 59. From behind his stockade Jack watched them through his 

field glass as they landed from the launch and set off for the village 

( ) 60. In the ninth inning of the game between Manual and Voca¬ 

tional with the score tied the bases full and two out 

( ) 61. Thousands of giraffes truly wonderful creatures have been 

killed by hunters both white and black solely for the sake of seeing them dead and 
leaving them as prey for hyenas and hunting dogs 

( ) 62. Harold Reaves and Jack Dunn drove to San Francisco and 

then sailed for Japan 

( ) 63. Cameo one of the cleverest trick dogs in Los Angeles in charge 

of a class for the benefit of three less gifted friends 

( ) 64. Like Nobel who invented dynamite Hudson Maxim the per- 

fecter of smokeless powder in America abhorred war 


45 









Indicate the number of complete sentences in each of the following by placing 
o, i, 2, or 3 in the parenthesis: 

( ) 65. This book consists of several short stories the most famous of which 

are “The Great Stone Face” by Hawthorne and “The Lady or the Tiger?” by 
Stockton 

( ) 66. A gray cabin on a hill an abandoned road grown thick with under¬ 

brush that once led to a pioneer homestead 

( ) 67. Why didn’t you bring your brother with you I haven’t seen him 

since vacation and should like to hear about his trip to Yellowstone National Park 

( ) 68. A person can improve his voice in many ways for example by study¬ 

ing by listening to his own voice and the voices of others by practicing and by 
always using his most pleasant tones 

( ) 69. One of the West Point halfbacks whose name was Eddie Herb and 

who was playing in his first major game for the Army 

( ) 70. We are sending you separately a catalog and an order blank if you 

send cash with your order you may deduct two per cent from the prices quoted 

Punctuate and capitalize the following sentences. Do not divide one good 
sentence into two sentences. A sentence will be marked wrong if an unnecessary 
mark or capital is inserted or a needed mark or capital is omitted. 

71. Miss Grace Wilson who is my biology teacher says that boys who wish to 
become scientists must learn to observe 

72. Who said it is better to be right than to be president 

73. Waste leads to poverty thrift is the road to financial independence 

74. Come here George said my mother and pick up these papers and books 

75. William T Tilden who announced his retirement from amateur tennis on 
December 28 1930 won during his years on the court twenty-nine United States 
championships including singles doubles and mixed doubles 

76. Longfellow was born in Portland Maine on February 27 1807 

77. Was the speaker of the evening ex-president Coolidge or major general 
Franklin 

78. What do you want said a timid voice from an upstairs window please go 
away and let us sleep 

79. Yes Robert I mean tents not tense 

80. Jack attended thomas jefferson high school for three years and another high 
school from christmas till june 

Answer questions 81-100 on a separate sheet of paper. 


46 


Change each compound sentence into a complex sentence by subordinating 
one of the ideas: (No credit except for a correct, sensible complex sentence.) 

81. In the summer I can’t skate or coast, so I play tennis and golf. 

82. The captain was asleep in his bunk, and the pilot drew a little off his course 
and ran aground. 

83. Father, a Civil War veteran, was a lover of the wilderness, so he moved our 
family westward. 

84. The fire was caused by a child playing with matches, but a fireman soon 
put it out. 

85. Bobby lost his smile and his cap, but he kept his head. 

In each of the following combine the sentences by substituting an appositive 
for one of them: (No credit except for a correct, sensible sentence.) 

86. “Tim” O’Neil is a Rhode Island manufacturer of emblems and badges. 
He was born in “ Dog Town,” now South Providence. 

87. To overthrow the power of the British in the “Northwest” George Rogers 
Clark planned and carried out one of the most important expeditions of the war. 
He was a Virginia scout. 

88. Paulus Hook is a narrow neck extending out into the Hudson River. It is 
now a part of Jersey City. 

89. Mrs. Willis had charge of the entertainment. She is a keen, energetic, 
enthusiastic woman. 

90. None of these men took off until he had inspected every part of his ship. 
He inspected his motor, instruments, and plane. 

Eight of the following sentences are faulty. Correct them. Write Correct at 
the left of the two good sentences. 

91. He don’t care nothing about politics. 

92. Having completed my English and algebra homework, a friend came in. 

93. I expect to graduate the Wilson High School. 

94. Doola was of Irish stock, red hair, and very blue eyes. 

95. A college training is an excellent thing, but after all the best part of every 
man’s education is that which he gives himself. 

96. The boy to whom I gave the football to did not return it. 

97. Jenkins said that his injured shoulder did not interfere with his playing to 
the coach between halves. 

98. Once Della faltered for a minute and stood still while a tear or two splashed 
on the worn red carpet. 

99. Not being able to answer the questions the teacher thought I hadn’t pre¬ 
pared my lesson. 

100. Write a sentence on the front blackboard in which a clause is used as a 


noun. 


47 






*v 




\ 









After each diagnostic or mastery test place a dot where the per-cent line and the line of the unit number meet. Draw 

■ a line connecting these dots. 



o> 

H 

> 

Z 

O 

> 

* 

O 


£> 

a n 
2. | -t 


to 

go 

Gn 

ON 


crq 

(3 

GO O 


NO 


H 

(D 

cn 

r-t- 

1/3 


lO 

l—l 

GO 

l—I 

1—< 
Gn 

i—i 

ON 


GO 

Gn 

ON 


5 » 

w 


ft) 

l-l 

OO.Gej 

►-3 

NO a 

w 

2 w 


to 

HH 

HH 

Ln 

HH 

On 


►d 

& 

O 

§ 

w 

C /3 

W 


o 

►> 

►d 

« 































































































